The Corporal's Words
by Digibear
Summary: Just a take on what took place after Mikasa and Rivaille escaped the female type titan. Mikasa/Rivaille. Rikasa.
1. Aftermath

Note: Just started watching/reading _Shingeki no Kyojin_, and I fell in love with it! That being said, I really like this pairing of Mikasa and Rivaille, so I hope I do it justice!

Disclaimer: I do not own _Shingeki no Kyojin_.

* * *

Before They Ventured Back to the Wall.

* * *

Mikasa kept her head down as the Scouting Legion caravan solemnly made its way back to the wall. The constant squeaking of the cartwheel beside her was grating on her nerves, making her fingers grip the reins of her horse tighter. Her boots were covered in dried blood and dirt, and she could feel the blood on her face and arms harden in the sunlight. The gas tanks on her sides were weighing her down, and she silently berated herself for not putting them in the cart sooner. The grass on her left side swayed with the breeze, just like her black tresses flowed in front of her eyes.

Around her, the rest of the fighters were casting their eyes to the ground or listlessly watching the road in front of them. No doubt they were mulling over their mission, a mission which had failed in the span of four hours. Too much blood was shed, for no more than a third of their party was now walking back to the city. People lost friends, comrades, fellow trainees. Seeing the melancholy looks on the soldiers faces made Mikasa realize that even the strongest had no shame in eliciting emotion. Out of the whole surviving race, they were the ones who saw the most death.

When Eren and Mikasa were kids, the Scouting Legion was a symbol of hope. Even though they had lost more than thirty percent of their party every mission, they were still considered humanity's strongest weapon against the titans. It was the closest thing to a celebration whenever they would saunter through the streets, with people watching them and occasionally pointing them out by name. Eren was more vocal in expressing his interest, but Mikasa had her own silent admiration as well. But now, she just felt sick. There hadn't been a single moment in this mission that she felt heroic.

If Corporal Rivaille wasn't there to help her, she would've gone on a blind rampage on the female type—which would've ended her life. With a heavy heart, she mulled over the events that happened just a couple hours ago…

* * *

After she and Rivaille escaped the enormous female titan, Mikasa praised every god she knew that Eren was alive. She didn't know what she would've done if he had been eaten. The sight of it still hadn't left her frenzied thoughts.

But her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a groan come from the corporal. Right when she turned her head, Rivaille swung sharply to the right and flung himself to the nearest branch, practically dumping himself on it. Mikasa shifted her gear and swooped up beside him, landing with a small thud.

Rivaille regarded her with hooded eyes and grunted, "I've been injured."

Following his eyes, the young woman saw that his left pant leg was soaked with blood. Whether it was his or Eren's, she knew that he needed medical attention right away. However, if they were to get back to the others in time, medical attention would have to wait until then. "What do you want me to do?"

Another grunt escaped the corporal's throat before he gestured to the unconscious boy by his side. His voice was raspy, but managed to keep a hint of its smoothness, "As much as it pains me to say this, could you carry Eren for me?"

Mikasa didn't say a word, but nodded instead. She bent down to hold Eren above her head before letting him rest on her shoulders. Rivaille watched with dark gray eyes as she steadied herself, trying to think of any other woman that could hold a grown man and still utilize the 3DMG…

No one came up.

"Can you still use your maneuver gear?"

Rivaille snapped out of his confusion and glared at his mauled leg. Ruefully, he thought that her question should've been the other way around. "I can manage. Let's go."

Mikasa took no time in flinging herself forward that she missed the stunned expression on her corporal's face behind her.

Eren's deadweight was hurting her back, but she had to keep going. Release, gas, grapple, swing, repeat. The surroundings blended together as she flew through the forest. The faster she went, the less weight she felt. It was just a pain on the swings she had to make since her weight was two-fold. Within minutes, Mikasa made her way to the caravan waiting at the edge of the forest. She made one more long swing down to the ground before falling to her knees, Eren crushing her with his weight. Between the fight with the female type and carrying Eren's deadweight with the 3DMG, she was exhausted. One of the girls rushed to her side as two men lifted her friend from her back and onto one of the carts.

A familiar voice above her spoke, "Mikasa! Are you alright?"

She let out a short cough before getting back up on her legs. "I'm fine, Armin," she said, "Don't worry about me. Corporal Rivaille's right behind me, and he's injured."

As if on cue, the dark-headed man was swinging down in a drawn out swing, holding his grappling rope with one hand. Right when he got to the ground, a horse and wrappings for his leg were brought to him. A wooden plank was fastened to his shin after he was lifted onto his horse.

Mikasa and Armin turned towards the commotion and watched the corporal being swarmed with three or four people tending to him. She could practically feel the disgust he was radiating. He hated the treatment he was getting and she knew it. If she were in his place, Mikasa would want people tending to everyone else first.

His eyes caught hers and she quickly turned away, for reasons she didn't know. Logically, it would be because she was responsible for his injury. Adding to that embarrassment, Mikasa was so wrapped up in adrenaline that she didn't even thank him yet. However, that still didn't explain the small flutter in her stomach.

Armin then turned to her, a grave look in his eye, "I was so worried you weren't going to come back! I heard you broke formation after we all heard Eren scream. What happened back there?"

Mikasa grit her teeth before facing him. Her voice was flat, "The female type managed to extract him from his titan form." Armin made an audible gasp but she continued, "Armin, she didn't eat him; she kept him in her mouth. It was obvious she was trying to capture him."

The blond pursed his lips and looked down in thought. "I figured she was after Eren. I didn't think she would eat him."

"She almost got away, too, but… Luckily the corporal was there in time," she looked away from Armin before whispering, "I couldn't save him, Armin…"

"What? Mikasa, that's not true. If you weren't there—"

"—I was there," she cut him off before sauntering off towards the caravan. He lifted his arm to reach her but she was out of his reach.

The girl walked to the cart Eren was lying in and peered over the edge to look at him. She placed her hands on the sideboard and watched his chest rise and fall with his deep breaths. Watching his chest move softly was enough for her—he was there, he was alive. "Eren…" she whispered with relief. There was a slight sting in her eyes before her vision became blurry.

She should've been with him from the start. This wouldn't have happened if she was there in his security circle. If she was there, she would have defended him and none of this would have happened. He would have gotten away. It was as if she could never be with him when he was in danger.

Mikasa was so far from her promise to his mom that it pained her.

And what's worse: she couldn't even protect him by herself. She wasn't strong enough to protect him on her own, and because of her weakness someone else was hurt in the process. Because of her selfishness, someone else got hurt. She could feel the blood in her body boil as she clenched her teeth. Her legs were shaking not with fear, but with anger. Not long ago, she had told everyone that she was stronger than all of them. Now, her strength didn't satisfy her in the least. Once again, she wasn't strong enough. Once again, Eren was in harm's way and she couldn't prevent it.

Once again, she failed.

All of this bore down on Mikasa all at once, and just as she was about to be pushed over the brink, a raspy smooth voice reached her ear,

"Ackerman, let go."

The girl's body snapped rigid and she stilled. Glancing at her hands, she noticed they were a stark white from her iron grip on the cart. She didn't even notice when her grip got so hard. When she slowly plucked her fingers from the hold, she felt an ache in her joints and there were a bunch of tiny splinters embedded in her skin. She winced and looked at the dark-eyed man on the horse behind her.

Rivaille had an indiscernible look in his eye as Mikasa searched his face. He took notice of the watery trails on her cheeks right before she turned away to wipe them off. Rivaille felt a miniscule pain in his chest, the most he had felt in a long time.

"None of this is your fault, you know."

The corporal could feel Mikasa's hard gaze from behind her, knowing that he hit home with that line.

When the woman held her head down, Rivaille ordered his horse to walk a couple steps to get in front of her. Mikasa's sight moved to the splint on his leg, and he noticed that her eyes were not as bright as they usually were. Instead of reflecting the sun's rays, her eyes were dull. Something in him boiled over and he started to talk, "You seem to put more pressure on yourself than anyone I know. It's admirable, Ackerman, but trust me when I say that you have to let some things go."

Mikasa narrowed her eyes and shot him a glare, "I could've prevented this from happening if I was there. If only you guys did your job—"

"—Our job was to protect Eren with our lives, nothing more. The fault is not in whether we did our jobs or not, but rather in our choice to carry those jobs out. Everyone is driven by their own choices, and it's the accumulation of those choices that leads to outcomes. We made our choice to guard Eren with our lives; he's the one who decided to trust us in fulfilling our duty. In the end, all of our choices ended with casualties. I can bet your life that Eren realized that, and that that was what drove him to challenge the female type in the first place. Even if you were with us, would he have chosen differently?"

Mikasa's expression softened as she mulled over his words. With a forlorn look to the horizon, she whispered, "No, but I would have protected him."

Rivaille sighed at her naivety. For whatever reasons she had to want to protect Eren this badly, she was going about it the wrong way. There was a lot to learn. "I know you want to protect him, but there is more than one way to do that. You think that staying by his side and fighting his battles for him will be enough, but that's not the case. He won't learn anything if you're always there for him. I know it doesn't make sense now, but there's another way to protect him, and that is to put your trust in him."

This made Mikasa's eyes change. The life filtered back in and she peered up at his sitting form. With a whisper, she repeated, "Trust… in him…"

The corporal just watched as her eyes went blank in thought. They both didn't have time to say anything else when Commander Irwin ordered them to evacuate the area immediately.

There were titans closing in on the group, and they needed to get out of there fast.

Rivaille swerved his head back to the trees, seeing a few ten meter classes approaching their party. They were still a good distance away, but he still gave orders to the surrounding troops,

"I want the ablest-bodied men and women guarding us from behind, forming a V-formation around the wounded! Get all the injured to the center of the party on the fastest carts!" After he barked out the orders he glanced at the woman beside him, "Mikasa, can you still fight?"

"Yes, sir." Everyone was already scrambling around at this point. Supplies were being loaded and carts were being driven away.

"Don't call me that," Rivaille bit out before realizing it. Mikasa rose an eyebrow, but he just looked to the forest again. In a stern voice, he ordered, "I want you in the rear formation. If you feel the need to give out orders, do it. Keep the titans in the forest as long as possible; you guys will have the advantage with your gear."

"Right," Mikasa answered before watching Eren's cart getting pulled away by the horses. She watched for a brief moment before turning back to Rivaille.

But he was already gone.

Mikasa rushed to the forest, meeting up with Jean, Armin, and a few of the others left on scouting duty. Of course they were the ablest-bodied people of the remaining few—they weren't sent into the forest to deal with the female type. As much as it pained them to keep away from the fray, they were the lucky ones.

She relayed Rivaille's commands to them before they swooped up into the trees to finish off the titans that were approaching the forest edge.

Ackerman perched on the first branch she could see before scanning the area for any titans. The first one Mikasa spotted was a lumpy ten meter class, ambling through the trees. Calculating a swing route, she ran across the branch she was on and quickly grappled the next tree. Her gas forced her through the air at breakneck speed right behind the titan, and she unhooked her chains to grapple its nape. Remembering how Rivaille upped his speed by spinning his body with the inertia, she flung herself directly at the eotena, twisted her body as sharp as she could, and sliced right where she intended to. Blood splattered all over her clothing as she righted her body to grapple and swing to a safe branch.

She glanced at her sword and stared in awe at how clean that kill was. Her blades didn't dull like they usually did with each impact.

"Amazing," she thought out loud before two skinny eight meter classes caught her attention. They were approaching a short distance from each other, and Ackerman waited them out for a few more seconds. Using her newfound abilities, she positioned herself perpendicular to the titans' line of sight. Waiting for the right moment, she paused until the first titan walked right past her. Grappling the tree from across the way, she twisted her body again and sliced the first titan nape clean. When she neared the tree, Mikasa pushed off of it with her foot and grappled a higher target. She was flung into the air before she even heard the first titan slam into the ground. Right when she reached the peak of her swing, the woman grappled the second titan's neck and finished it off with another body spin.

She didn't say a word as she swung away from the steaming bodies, scanning for other titans.

"Mikasa!"

That was Armin's voice. The woman looked around the find where he was, but he swung up to meet her and immediately started rambling, "We don't have much time. The group of titans that came into the forest earlier is starting to dissipate. We need to get back to the formation."

Mikasa's face was blank. "Have we gotten most of the ones nearby?"

Arlert nodded quickly and spoke fast, "Yeah, most of the ones that were headed our way were taken care of. The party is probably safe, but we need to catch up before our horses get spooked."

"Horses?" That thought never even occurred to the girl when they were sent to fend off the titans. How could she have missed something so vital to their success?

Armin grabbed her arm and piped, "Yeah. I got some people to hold horses for us. We only have enough for us to ride in twos, but that's more than enough."

Mikasa nodded before following Armin down to the group waiting at the edge. Everyone grabbed a hold of the first horse they saw and pulled their partners up. Just like that, they were racing to the rest of the group.

The black-haired girl held on to Armin's waist as they fled, and she could only wonder if the rest of the group was okay. They had taken care of the titans in the forest, but if there were any more on the plains, they were all in trouble. What was worse: her adrenaline was starting to wear off, eaten by fatigue.

But when they got there, the rest of the party was okay.

Armin slowed the horse down and let out a drawn out sign of relief. "Whew… lucky."

Everyone seemed to be fine. It felt like there were no encounters on their part, which made Mikasa relieved for more reason than one. Looking towards the head of the group, she spotted Rivaille exchanging words with Commander Irwin before spotting her and the others. They both looked back at them before the dark-haired man pulled his horse to the back of the group.

He scanned the lot of them, seemingly counting heads. Looking at Armin and Mikasa, he asked in bewilderment, "Everyone came back?"

Armin spoke up, "Yes, sir. Mikasa ordered us to hold horses so we could flee before more of them came back." Ackerman was about to object when Armin subtly elbowed her in the ribs.

Rivaille raised an eyebrow at the girl, "Well, that went better than I expected." He regarded her glare for a moment before trotting back up to the front.

Mikasa waited until he was out of earshot. Armin didn't know what hit when she clocked him on the head. He wailed before she cupped his mouth and whispered in his ear, "Why'd you tell him that I said that? That was your idea."

Armin muttered inaudible things before she took her hand off his mouth. He turned to her and whispered back, "Because, Mikasa. You're going to be in command someday, sooner than later. Just helping your reputation out."

Ackerman muttered, "I can do it without lying."

The blond then gave her a look. "When we went into the forest, I noticed something. You gave us orders at the start, but then you left us without warning. You're a strong fighter, but you can't be in command unless you learn how to lead." He took her back to the time after Eren was eaten the first time. "Remember when you gave us the speech that you're stronger than us? We all believed it, and we all respected you, but after that you left us behind and blindly went in enemy territory. I know you were blinded by rage, but you gotta learn to control that."

Mikasa was at a loss for words. He was completely right. Even when she witnessed Eren getting swallowed up, she didn't think clearly. That counts as two times she put her life in danger because of her emotions.

Was she really that attached to Eren?

She needed time to think, and when the horse was at a slow gait she was quick to dismount. Armin offered to lend her the horse, but she insisted that she walked. He nodded before pulling ahead of her.

She had walked head-down next to Eren's cart most of the way, until a horse came up to her side. She turned to see Rivaille walking upright next to her with his horse in tow. Mikasa's eyes widened, "Corporal? You're walking?"

The splint held in his hands was chucked into the wooden cart before he responded, "We're almost to the wall. I don't want the people to see me wounded."

She understood. It was one thing for the people to see how many were wiped out on their missions, but a whole other thing entirely when the strongest warrior was hurt. It symbolized a crack in the hope of humanity—if their strongest fell, what would happen to the rest of them? This made her feel even worse for putting him in that position, and it was pasted all over her face.

"Hey."

Ackerman turned her face slightly towards Rivaille, but not all the way. He could see the outline of her profile, and saw the guilt in her lidded eyes. She was mad at him for not protecting Eren, he knew, but the guilt in her eyes wasn't settling well with him. It only reminded him that she was still an innocent woman. She needed to be reminded yet again,

"This was because of my decision, not yours. Now keep your head up before I do it for you. We're nearing the wall."

Mikasa was looking down for so long that she didn't even notice. Her legs were on autopilot the moment she felt exhaustion fill her body.

For one last request, Rivaille handed her the reins of his horse. "Unlike a wooden cart, this won't give you splinters. Get on."

She watched him fall behind before mounting his horse. Her thoughts wandered off and she could only focus on the horse's mane in front of her...

* * *

Mikasa snapped back to reality when one of the wounded soldiers in the cart spoke, "Oh, finally came to?"

"Eren!"

He twisted his gaze to her in shock, "Mikasa?!"

Her friend was too forceful with his voice and movements, but the effects of his titan transformation were still present in his eyes. Mikasa needed to calm him down despite the joy she felt in seeing him alive. But was it joy? Or just massive relief? "Don't try to get up yet. You should just rest for now."

It was no use. He screamed, "What about the female type?!"

Mikasa faced forward towards the wall before answering, "She got away…"

Eren was a mess. Questions spilled from his mouth, "Why? Everybody… What's… What about the plan…?"

With remorse, she whispered, "It failed." A pause. "You need to rest…"

Eren then noticed the wings adorning the cloak covering him. "This is… was it you again who saved me?"

_I didn't save you, Eren._ The woman couldn't look him in the eye this time. She couldn't tell him the truth; she couldn't tell him that she had failed had it not been for Rivaille. It was then that she reminded herself to give him a real apology later. "We… almost made it to the wall."

All conversation stopped then.

They were nearing the gates.

* * *

Fin.

* * *

Note: I intended this to just be a one-shot with a lot of interaction between Mikasa and Rivaille, but I'll gladly turn into a chapter story if you guys want! So waddaya say, more Rikasa action?! Let me know!

Note 2: I love this pairing so much; they're both badasses. And I also loved writing Rivaille. He's such a cool character!


	2. Cold Walls, Heated Talk

Disclaimer: I do not own _Shingeki no Kyojin_.

* * *

Cold Walls, Heated Talk

* * *

It had been an hour since the Scouting Legion drug its feet back into Wall Rose. Not wanting to draw any more attention than they had already, the group took to the woods and went straight back to Headquarters. For some, the decrepit castle was more of a refuge from the wide-eyed citizens than from the titans.

Orders were that the wounded were immediately put into separate small recovery rooms underground while the rest of the soldiers unload the cargo and gear. The sun was still hanging high in the sky, beaming down on them and warming their evergreen cloaks. Even though Mikasa's cloak was with Eren in his recovery room, her jet-black hair and sleeves were enough to drench her in sweat. Despite being the only girl unloading with the rest of the men, she had done the most work. Some of the guys had to stop what they were doing to watch her effortlessly carry boxes of gas tanks and maneuver gear. Even Commander Irvin had watched with a curious face before being swarmed by messengers barking orders from the Capital. With patience unlike anything Mikasa had seen, he responded to each and every one of them accordingly and dismissed them like only a commander could. Within minutes he had them scurrying away on their horses. She took note of his actions for future reference.

Furthermore, from what she could make out of the conversations, Mikasa concluded that Irvin and Eren were to be summoned to the Capital within the next week.

After she had finished what she could, Ackerman made her way into the stone fortress. The walls isolated the cold air, and Mikasa's sweat made it seem even colder. The girl instinctively wrapped her arms around her body and gritted her teeth together to keep them from chattering. She had to check Eren's condition because at this rate he was going to come down with a heavy fever. Mikasa was sure the basement was even colder since hot air rises. If this was what the ground floor felt like, it was a freezer downstairs.

After a few corners, she walked past the kitchen. As if it had a mind of its own, her stomach practically leaped out of her body at the sight of it. Despite this, Mikasa kept going and headed to the stairs leading to the underground rooms. She was told Eren would be in the second one on the right when she got down to the bottom of the stairs, so she knocked on the door before coming in.

Eren was sitting up in bed, his arms on his propped up knees and his head between them. Immediately, Mikasa knew this was why he didn't answer the door. Over the years, she picked up on his little nuances, and this was the one he used when in deep thought. The first time she saw him in that position, he wouldn't answer any of her questions until his head came back up over his arms. Taking a chair, Mikasa scooted it next to the bed and gingerly sat down. She knew he knew she was there, so there was no need to tell him. The only sound was the flickering of the lantern flame by the bed.

It had been ten minutes of silence until Eren snapped out of his reverie.

Thinking about what the corporal said to her earlier that day, Mikasa skipped right past the questions about his health and went straight to another topic. "Eren… did you see those kids back there? When we were coming back into the city?"

His nose twisted in disgust. "Yeah. They looked like us when we were little, huh? We were so naïve back then…"

Mikasa nodded and looked at the bandages wrapped around Jaeger's head. Little pieces of the fight and rescue came back to her, and her eyes got deeper set. "It feels like it's been a lifetime since that day, but it's only been five years."

Eren turned to her and gave her a half-smile. "We got what we asked for, didn't we?"

This time, Mikasa lowered her eyes to stare at the patterns in the floor. The light was dim, making it seem like nighttime underground. The dark atmosphere of the room only heightened her gloomy mood. With a rueful gaze, she thought, _Not we, _you_ did, Eren. You wanted to join the Scouting Legion and you did. You made goals for yourself and you achieved them. Me… all I wanted was to be with you, and I have yet to reach that… _

Eren watched her still form, not knowing what he said to trigger that response. The most likely answer was that she was thinking about what happened on the mission. _What did happen anyway? _From what he could gather, something bad must have happened to him to have Mikasa this upset. With a hard face, Eren reached out and gripped his friend's shoulder. When she looked up, he muttered, "Keep your head up, Mikasa. Now's not the time to be sad."

She nodded through stinging eyes and reached to feel Eren's forehead. It felt hot to the touch still, and she furrowed her brows while whispering, "It's hard not to be when you keep doing this to yourself, Eren."

The boy snatched her hand off his head and retorted, "But what am I supposed to do? You can't expect me to sit back and watch my comrades get killed because of me."

Mikasa just thinned her lips. She knew he had more to say than that, so she took his lecture with silence.

Just like she always does.

"I'm sorry, Mikasa, but I can't afford to let others do things for me any longer. Too many people died on this mission because of me. You really expect me to not do anything about it?"

The girl just kept switching her gaze between his eyes, wanting him to see the big picture. How can he not see that she just wanted him to be safe? He was practically throwing himself into the fray without giving a damn about his own wellbeing. How can he not see how negatively that was affecting her?

Then, seeing no ounce of understanding in Eren's eyes, Mikasa hardened her gaze and took her hand away from his grasp. Even though her face was cool, her insides were burning. She had always imagined holding hands with Eren a little differently, but reality smacked her in the face. There was no way Eren was ever going to understand what she was feeling. After all, he was hell bent on one goal and one goal only: to destroy the titan race. It was the only thing she could see in his eyes.

Mikasa replied before standing and heading to the door, "No, Eren. But whatever you choose do, I'll support you." With a flick of her wrist, the girl scooped her cloak off the bed and wrapped it around her shoulders. She turned to him once and whispered, "Keep the covers on even if you're hot. It's freezing down here." Her dark orbs glowed in the low light of the room, and Eren only caught a glimpse of them before Mikasa turned and left. The red scarf he gave her was the last thing he saw before the door closed.

As soon as she was gone, the boy slapped his face and bit out, "Shit. I'm sorry, Mikasa."

* * *

"Hanji, you can't be serious."

"I'm dead serious, and _you_ are going to be a good boy and stay in bed until that leg of yours heals."

Rivaille rolled his eyes in disgust while his friend gathered up her medical supplies. Looking around the room, the only interesting thing he could make out was scrawled writing on the stone walls. Other than that, the air was freezing and the light was doing nothing but making him feel like he was in a prison. He was convinced the dank atmosphere was only going to drive him crazy instead of heal him. And, since the adrenaline was long gone, his leg hurt like a bitch. His eyes were narrowed in pain as he lifted his head to look at Hanji's wrapping job. Wrapped stiff in layers of cloth and gauze, his left leg looked and felt like a stump. Rivaille already tried experimenting and lifted it off the bed. Immediately, a voice rang in his ear,

"Put your leg down or I'll chop the damn thing off!"

The corporal's breath caught in his throat and he made a noise. His eyes were wide as he lowered his leg on the soft covers again.

Titans were one threat, but a pissed off Hanji Zoe was worse.

With a desperate voice, Rivaille whined, "Please tell me I won't be here long."

The squad leader zipped up her satchel and threw her cloak on the bed before replying, "No can do. We'll just have to see what happens. From what I gather, you suffered traumatic fracturing in your lower leg. By definition, you have a crus fracture which will take some time to heal. See, what happens in that type of injury is—"

"—I know what happened: I kicked that bitch's hand and broke things. Still don't appreciate your lectures…" Rivaille laid back on his pillow and covered his forehead with one arm. He asked more quietly, "So, what if I have to take a shit?"

Hanji's face switched from disappointed to pure disgusted, "Eh?! Don't ask _me_, you pervert!"

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and Rivaille didn't move while Hanji went to open it. When she did, the squad leader sounded confused, "Mikasa? Something wrong?"

Rivaille shifted his arm at Mikasa's name. He looked to see the dark-haired girl standing in the doorway and heard her reply, "No, nothing's wrong." He then noticed that there was a tray of food in her hands, and he furrowed his brows in confusion.

Hanji then hesitantly looked over Mikasa's face and stared at the tray. "You sure? You look terrible."

Even the corporal could see that; she did in fact look really pale. That food better be for her; she probably hasn't eaten all day. But why was she even up? He fully expected her to be passed out by now.

Mikasa just denied Hanji again and moved the tray a little, "I was ordered to give this to Corporal Rivaille."

With a devious expression, Hanji stepped aside to let the girl in. Gripping her satchel, she called out before leaving, "Guess I'll leave you two for now." She winked one eye before adding in a singsong voice, "Don't play with your food, Rivaille!"

Rivaille's eye twitched on instinct and he cursed his friend as the door shut. How dare that woman jump to conclusions—so much for an avid scientist. He noted to hit her on the head with his crippled leg later. He looked to the bed and scoffed at her cloak still there.

Mikasa just glared at the door before walking to Rivaille's bedside. In a tight voice and tight grip on the tray, she asked, "Do you want this now or on the nightstand?"

The corporal propped himself up with his elbows and stared at her with lidded eyes. "Neither."

Wondering what another option could be, Ackerman raised her eyebrow. She looked down at the hot stew and fresh plum in confusion and asked with a firm voice, "Then what do you want me to do with it?"

"It isn't obvious?" Rivaille then sat up fully and slouched. He moved his head slightly towards her and explained, "You eat it."

Mikasa then pursed her lips together and practically shoved the tray closer to the man. "Commander Irvin sent me to give this to you, not eat it myself. So here."

Corporal Rivaille just watched her as she glared at the silver tray. _What's her problem?_ She seemed to be in a bad mood. Her stiff joints and narrowed eyes were a dead giveaway. Since her head was down, he took the time to scan her over. It wasn't normal for someone to come back from a mission looking as unhurt as she did, especially from their first mission in the Scouting Legion. All the dried blood on her wasn't even hers. It took a strong willpower to stop himself from telling her to wash up, and he practically bit his tongue to do so. Mikasa didn't look so good in dried blood. Scanning her face, he noticed that the longer she glared at the tray, the redder her face got. Well, this was an interesting trait. The stained blush on her cheeks looked pretty attractive. _What the hell? Did I really just think that? Maybe I do need to eat_.

After a moment's hesitation, Rivaille decided to take the tray from Mikasa and sighed, "Suit yourself then." With deliberately slow movements, he took scoops of the soup up, slurped it into his mouth, grabbed the plum, bit hard into it. He knew Mikasa could hear the juice on his lips and her stomach betrayed her when it growled. The corporal inwardly smirked.

Ackerman's cheeks deepened in embarrassment and she narrowed her eyes. She was about to turn on her heel to leave when Rivaille said through chewed plum, "Where do you think you're going?" When she looked at him in wonder, he raised an eyebrow. With a nonchalant voice, he explained, "You have to bring my dishes back."

Mikasa narrowed her eyes and walked to the only chair in the room: a saggy wooden one facing the bed on the opposite wall. Plopping herself down, she folded her arms and glared at him. She was amazed at the polar opposite he was being now compared to how he was on the mission. When he talked to her then, it was as if he actually cared for her. Now he's ordering her around like a servant? The girl entertained herself with the idea of kicking him in the other leg. To her chagrin, she then remembered that it _was_ her that was responsible for his injury… Maybe this was her first dose of karma. Can't say she liked it so much.

Rivaille's hooded eyes watched her staring him down. The biting words, the shoving the tray towards him, the glares. They all pointed to one conclusion: she was mad at him. For goodness sake, was she still mad at him for endangering Eren? Those are some strong feelings for a guy so romantically challenged. The anger radiating from the girl's core was so forceful it was distracting him. Ignoring his food, Rivaille spoke out, "I can't eat when you're looking at me like you want to kick my other leg."

The look on her face was priceless. Had she really thought about it? Rivaille couldn't help but smirk at her deviousness. "For a quiet girl you sure don't know how to mask what you're thinking."

Her eyes flashed as she replied harshly, "For a revered soldier you sure don't know how to protect people."

The smirk practically jumped off Rivaille's face and his hooded eyes narrowed dangerously. He seethed, "Don't you go there, Ackerman."

As soon as the words had left her mouth, Mikasa regretted it. But she wasn't going to back down from this. Because of him, Eren had to suffer again. She hated not being there and she hated seeing him wrapped up in bandages again. How was she supposed to forgive the corporal yet? If he was going to treat her this way she had a right to have her anger back. But why was she acting this way? She was never like this around anyone. Granted, the only people she ever conversed with enough were Eren and Armin. Other than that, she had kept to herself and stayed out of people's way. She had been so bent on staying with Eren that she hadn't really built relationships with anyone else. A bitter thought passed through her that this was probably why she didn't. Already four conversations in with the lance corporal before an argument came up.

She relinquished her glare and looked away from the corporal and to some writing on the walls. The etchings were unusually interesting at the moment. Without thinking, she blurted, "Eren's—"

"—_Eren,_ is here." The corporal then lifted his chin indignantly and stared her down with his deep orbs. "And if I recall correctly, I didn't even get an apology or a 'thank you' for saving your asses."

A hard grating of the chair legs erupted in the room as Mikasa shot up from her seat. Her chest was notably rising and falling from the rage she was holding back. Her body was calm, but a fire lit her insides. How could see miss how rude this guy actually was? When Commander Irvin ordered her to take food to Rivaille after she left Eren's room, she was not expecting to get in an arguments whatsoever. This was the guy that gave her advice, for crying out loud. Now he's a cocky bastard who wants an apology and a thank-you? Her head felt so hot she was convinced it was going to explode. Where was her self-control? She had been so poised for 18 years and _now_ was the time to lose it? Mikasa wanted to slap that calm expression right off his face. Maybe her placidness was chipped when she figured out how clueless Eren was. And now Rivaille is just making the crack larger. Forget bringing his dishes back up; she was leaving without them.

In a voice that she proudly found even and calm, she said with her eyes narrowed, "You can bring those dishes up yourself."

Suddenly, when she turned to grab the door handle, her vision became blurry. All at once the handle, the door, the walls, and the bed started spinning. Mikasa's head lulled and she stumbled to the left and knocked the chair out of place.

Rivaille's eyes shot up and he called out, "Ackerman! Hold yourself up, damn it!" He then cursed under his breath for not forcing her to eat more, the past argument forgotten in an instant. She was about to faint from exhaustion and hunger; if her head hit the ground that injury was going to be fatal. In a flash, the man ripped the covers from his body, shot himself from the bed and yelled, "Mikasa!"

* * *

"Commander Irvin, sir!"

"Armin, please come in."

The guards on the sides of the door allowed the blond entrance before shutting the wooden doors behind him. He then stood straight and gave the salute before walking towards the Commander's desk.

Irvin briefed him immediately, "In light of the recent mission, we've deduced that the female type titan is a civilian hiding in the city. I want to lure her out and capture her before things escalate. However, there's not much information to point out exactly who she is. I've been informed that you have valuable information regarding the female type's actions, so I want you to tell me everything that you heard or saw her do."

Armin gave a sharp nod before complying, "I understand, sir. She had targeted me early on in the mission, and the first people I saw her kill were Cis and Ness… Not only did she grab their cords to stop them; she knew exactly where to hit them to kill them instantly. That's when I figured out she was a human in a titan body. When she was able to get to me, I thought I was going to die or get eaten. But… she saw my face and left me alone." The boy looked at his hands and whispered, "That's the part I've given the most thought. I can only point to the conclusion that she recognized my face." Armin looked up at the Commander's hard face and continued, "But if that's the case, then we can definitely narrow the list of suspects down to a select few."

Irvin didn't change his expression when he asked, "And you're sure about all of this?"

The young man nodded. "I know what I saw. I just don't like to think it's true."

"Well if that's the case…" Irvin said as he adjusted his sitting position. He tented his hands and rested his elbows on the desk while continuing, "We have a week before Eren and I are to be summoned to the Capital. That gives us more than enough time to pin our target and lure them out the next chance we get. I'll be holding private meetings during this time, and I want you to be there."

Armin gave another salute before walking towards the door. His thoughts were going haywire—he already had a pretty clear idea of who the female titan was. During the whole journey back to Wall Rose, he had a lot of time to sort out his thoughts. It didn't take that much time to pinpoint who she could've been. What scared him the most was that it was someone that he had known for quite some time. It was going to be hard to throw her name out during the first meeting, but it was going to be even harder for him to admit his assumption to Eren.

* * *

_Shit… why does my leg hurt so much? This floor is freezing… Why am I on the floor?_

Everything happened in a blur, but when Rivaille opened his eyes again, Mikasa's head was in his left palm and they were both flat on the ground. He quickly remembered that he had abandoned the bed to save her from busting her head open on the floor. With a scoff, Rivaille realized that this had been the second time he's saved her life.

His leg hurt like hell, but the girl's face looked even worse. He took this time to get his breath back and scan her face over. There were bags under her eyes and her face was stark white. Rivaille cursed her stupidity; didn't he _just_ give her a lecture on making decisions? Looking over her face again, he noticed her thick eyelashes and glazed lips. His face was blank expect for his lidded eyes. Maybe it was wrong for him to lash out when he did. He's usually so calm; what had happened to make him snap? She did throw insults in his face, but he should've been used to that. He must've overexerted her to the point that her head couldn't take it anymore. He huffed out a breath of frustration before struggling to get up on his knees.

Suddenly, the knob on the door turned and Rivaille's head snapped to the person coming in.

"Rivaille, I forgot my cloak—Oh…"

Hanji stood still in the door as soon as she saw the two on the ground. Mikasa looked to be sleeping and Rivaille was holding her head in his hand. And were his cheeks red? Her jaw dropped and she exclaimed, "I knew you were a pervert!"

"Hanji, she's unconscious! She fainted."

The bespectacled girl then rushed to the girl's side and whispered quickly, "When did this happen?"

Rivaille's hand was growing numb from the weight of Mikasa's head. He grunted out, "I can't say. I think I blacked out from the impact of my leg hitting the floor."

With a small smile, Hanji took Mikasa's limp body and stood up. "Well, it's a good thing you saved her. From the looks of things she would've gotten a concussion." She watched the corporal manage to get back on his bed in a sitting position. "I'll take her to the room next door then I'll be right back."

Rivaille was almost at peace before Hanji popped her head back in the door. "Oh, and Rivaille? Commander Irvin told me to tell Mikasa that since she's the one responsible for your injury, she's going to be responsible for making sure you make a solid recovery. Be right back!"

The corporal stared hard at the cobblestone floor with thinned lips.

Forget the healing process. At this rate, Mikasa was going to be the death of him.

* * *

To be continued...

* * *

Note: Begin the tension! Ahaha... I'm so cruel to those two. See you guys next time!

Note 2: Is it Commander Irvin or Commander Irwin? I still don't know the correct spelling.


	3. Cleansed

Note: Thanks to all the wonderful reviews, favorites, and follows! The amount of encouragement is so flattering. :D Oh, and there's a proposition that you might not want to pass up at the end of the chapter. See you then!

Note 2 (edit): After finishing my Insanity workout for the day (HARDEST THING I HAVE EVER DONE, BUT I WANT MIKASA'S BODY GD IT), I went back and read this over one more time. I found a mistake in the opening paragraphs... how embarrassing. Fixed it, though! I also HATED myself for not mentioning the red scarf at all in this chapter, so I tailored that detail into this at some points.

Disclaimer: I do not own _Shingeki no Kyojin_.

* * *

Cleansed

* * *

"Eren, come quick! It's Mikasa!"

"Wait, what? Armin, hold on!"

Eren had been lying under his covers when his blond friend came banging on the door. Armin's words were running together but it didn't take Jaeger long to figure out something had happened to his childhood friend. It had only been a few hours since Mikasa left his recovery room; what could have possibly happened? Eren jumped out of bed and swung the door open with a flick of his wrist before briskly following Armin to a room down the hall. The cobblestone floors were hard on the boy's bare feet as they made short pat-pat sounds. All the remaining heat in his feet was sucked up by the cold rocks; the basement was freezing. A short thought passed through the boy's mind and he silently thanked Mikasa for telling him to cover up. With a concerned voice, he asked,

"Armin, mind telling me what's going on?"

The torches lighting up the hallway made Armin's hair glow an orange hue. Arlert made no move to turn around while explaining, "Mikasa fainted awhile ago. Squad Leader Hanji found her and had to carry her to an empty recovery room."

As they reached their destination, a room in the very opposite part of the bedroom hallway, Eren coughed out, "Fainted? She's never done that before."

Armin carefully opened the door and peered into the room. The dim light was casting shadows on the hard stone walls. Mikasa was laid out on the bed while Hanji sat by wringing out a washcloth, the water droplets plopping into a chipped bowl. She was gingerly placing the damp cloth on Ackerman's forehead when she saw the two boys in the doorway.

"Armin. Eren. You can come in; she's still out cold."

Both boys had nervous looks on their faces as they filed into the room. While Eren watched Mikasa's even breathing with a hard face, Armin was quick to interrogate the squad leader,

"Is she going to be okay? How did this happen?"

Hanji shifted in her chair and turned to him. She replied with a supportive tone, "She will be fine, although I'm not entirely sure how this happened. From the color of her face, my best guess is that she fainted from low blood pressure. I don't think she's eaten all day. But, better to ask Rivaille than me; he did save her after all."

Eren interjected, confused, "Saved? What do you mean?"

"He was somehow able to catch her before she hit the ground head-on. I found them sprawled out on the floor when I came back to get my cloak from his room."

Both boys had quizzical looks on their faces, wondering the same question. It was Armin who asked first, "What was she doing in the corporal's room…?"

Hanji's glasses flashed a devious light before she answered like it was gossip, "Apparently Commander Irvin is making her responsible for his recovery since she was partially responsible for his injury. But if you ask me, I feel like it's more of a set-up."

Eren raised an eyebrow. His voice was disbelieving, "The corporal… was injured?"

Zoe nodded. "Yeah. The bones in his left leg were fractured when he and Mikasa retrieved you from the female type. From what I heard, Mikasa would've been killed if he didn't get to her in time. Lucky girl… But, she'll have to be with him until he can at least walk again. Talk about karma." She ended her speech with a chuckle.

The two boys looked at each other before turning to their friend. Her hair was slick with dried sweat and her skin was still stained dark orange from the dried blood. The bags under her eyes were more pronounced when her skin was so pale. The red scarf juxtaposed the paleness of her skin and made her face look white as porcelain.

Eren pursed his lips together. _Now two more people are hurt because of me… I should at least apologize to them. At least they're alive… _He didn't even feel his hands scrunching up into balled fists.

Hanji got up from her chair and walked past the two boys to the door, snapping Eren out of his trance. "I'll go get some leftovers from the kitchen for when she regains consciousness. Will you boys watch her until I get back?"

Both boys nodded and left her to close the door with a small click.

Eren breathed out a short breath before walking to the chair. He wasn't subtle in plopping down on it while Armin gingerly sat on the foot of the bed.

Situating his back on the wall, the blond turned a concerned face to his unconscious friend. The light made the slope of her face more defined, and her pointed nose was more prominent. Her eyes were in a calm slant and her chest was rising and falling with deep breaths. Lips were closed and her hair fell around her face like soft waterfalls. With wonder in his voice, the blond whispered, "At least she finally looks peaceful…"

Eren nodded slowly. "Yeah…" He couldn't remember the last time she looked this calm. It hurt him to think that the only way she could be at peace was when she was knocked out cold. "Even when she was little she didn't look like this."

Armin chuckled. "That's because she was always worried about _you_."

Eren scrunched up his face. "Yeah. She's always worried about me."

"It makes sense, though. If you literally saved my life, I would practically feel indebted to you. I feel like Mikasa's always looking out for you not just because she _wants_ to, but also because she feels that she _has_ to. It's her way of saying 'thank you.'"

Eren looked at him with wide eyes. "I've never looked at it that way."

The blond looked back at Mikasa as she shifted quietly. "Maybe you've been so used to it that you haven't thought about it. You push her away all you want, but it won't change her mind…"

Upon hearing this, Eren's eyes were downcast. "I've noticed, but it feels like she isn't even trying to live her own life. It makes me feel guilty, Armin. I guess pushing her away is the only way I can tell her that she needs to do things for herself once in awhile. We all do."

A sigh escaped Armin. "You still don't see it, do you, Eren?"

"What?"

Arlert gave him a hard stare. "You know she loves you, right?"

Eren furrowed his brows. "Of course I know that. We're family."

"No, I mean…Gah, it's really not my place to tell you this, but…" A breathy sigh left Armin's mouth before he said, "I think she thinks of you more than that. You're her _savior_, Eren. The way she treats you, a lot of people can tell it's more than just… family love."

The brown-haired boy's breath caught in his throat and he coughed. With a concerned face, he looked at Mikasa. She loved him more than family? All this time he felt that she was just being overprotective. Now that he thought about it, though, everything Armin was saying was true. Her undying support; her following his every action; her joining the Scouting Legion for him. There hasn't been a single thing that he did, good or bad, that she didn't support. It hurt him to hear this; he loved her on the sisterly level this whole time. Transitioning from that to real love sounded wrong and, well, awkward. There was no way he could return her affections this way, and now his guilt felt even heavier. Besides, even if he were to return her affections, there was no way their relationship would go anywhere. This world was cruel—a world where anything you love could be ripped from you any second. He couldn't risk it with Mikasa; losing his mom was more than enough incentive for him to keep his distance from those he loved.

With a defeated tone, Eren confessed, "I never knew, Armin… I love her, too, but I've always thought of her as my sister. I'm afraid I can't change that…"

Armin nodded in understanding. "Yeah, I figured. I just hope she figures it out, too…"

Eren watched his friend sleep peacefully, a crestfallen look on his face. "Yeah… Me, too."

A knock on the door caused both boys to turn their heads. Hanji had appeared with a tray of stew, bread, and water. With a hushed voice, she asked, "Is she awake?"

The two boys turned to her and shook their heads, too absorbed in their thoughts to notice a single tear make its way down Mikasa's face.

* * *

"I'm fine, Commander. Trust me; nothing hurts."

Pain.

All he could feel was pain.

Irvin stared at Rivaille with blank eyes. "There's no point in lying to me, Rivaille. I know you well enough to tell when you're lying."

The corporal held up his hands in defeat. "Alright, you caught me." He put them down and gave a sidelong glance to nothing in particular. "…It hurts like a bitch."

Commander Irvin snorted and made his way to the door. "Could've been worse. At least your leg is still there."

Despite the correctness of that statement, Rivaille wasn't too happy. His commander was already at the door when the young man blurted, "They're all dead because of me."

The blond soldier kept his fingers still on the handle when he sighed. Voice stern, he admonished, "Rivaille, you should know better than anyone that that statement is never true."

A short breath caught in Rivaille's throat, but other than that he was silent. Of course he knew that, but he always confided in Irvin. The commander was the one that changed his life; when there was something wrong, Rivaille would always turn to him. Right now, thinking about his deceased team made his shoulders heavy laden with guilt. He didn't show it to the others, but he wasn't going to hide it from Irvin forever.

His gaze was nowhere near the captain as his thoughts buzzed around in his head. A glimpse of a face came to mind, but he shook it out of his head right when it came.

Commander Irvin saw the inner turmoil resurface in his protégé, and he sighed. "A lot of people died out there, just like we expected. We all made the choice to go out there knowing that, and your teammates were more aware of that fact than anyone else. They didn't die _because_ of you, they died _for_ you. Now get some rest, or you'll end up unconscious like Ms. Ackerman."

The lance corporal shifted his gaze and smirked, "You sure have a way with words, Irvin. Maybe you should've been a poet." We he didn't get a response, he asked offhandedly, "Is she finally awake?"

"I haven't heard anything from Hanji yet, but she should be up soon."

Rivaille nodded before following up with the question he'd been meaning to ask. "About her being there for my recovery—"

A cough from the commander interrupted his query and Irvin blurted, "I have a meeting to host, Rivaille. Rest up; that's an order."

The door shut before Rivaille could shout a nasty word to his leading officer. Feeling defeated, he fell back onto his pillow and brought an arm over his eyes. "Damn it, Irvin…"

Not even five minutes passed before he heard another knock on the door. The sound was enough to make him hate life. His voice was raspy as he threatened, "Come in and I'll slit your throat."

Whoever knocked on his door completely ignored his request. Rivaille heard the door squeak and two pairs of footsteps on the floor. Disgruntled, he lifted his arm to see two boys standing at the foot of his bed. "Didn't know this was a visiting hour… You two didn't even bring flowers."

Eren furrowed his brows and spoke, "Hanji told us what happened. I came to thank you."

The man scowled and cast his lidded eyes to the ceiling. "She needs to take better care of herself…"

"Oh, I meant… Thank you for saving my life," Eren corrected as he shifted his weight.

Rivaille put his arm back over his eyes, his black bangs shifting to the side. "Don't mention it, kid. Besides, it's your friend you should be thanking."

Armin and Eren exchanged a look before Eren inquired, "Mikasa? So she _was_ the one that saved me?"

The corporal just sounded tired as he replied, "If I had gotten to the female type first, I would've given up and thought she'd flat out eaten you. Your friend, on the other hand, was adamant you were just captured. Turns out, she was right. Clever girl."

Jaeger looked at the ground in thought as Armin asked, "Corporal, you got injured during the fight with the female type, correct?"

"Duh."

Armin pursed his lips, caught off guard by the offhandedness. But he continued, "May I ask how, exactly? Hanji said you fractured some bones in your leg, but that only happens when a major force suddenly acts on the foot or ankle. I was just curious since you usually attack your targets at an angle. That much force would never generate unless you attacked the female type directly."

At this, Rivaille smirked and sat up slowly. He rested on his palms behind him and looked directly at Eren. With the straightest voice he could muster, the black-haired boy asked, "How did a dumbass like you get such smart friends?"

Eren sucked in a breath and was about to shout when Armin covered his mouth. What came out was an incoherent, "Ah lees I _av_ frens!"

Rivaille just raised an eyebrow in annoyance, but then turned to Armin. "You're right; I don't attack my targets directly. However, right when I was about to finish the titan off, Ackerman decided to go rogue and go in for a kill shot. She would've been squashed to death by the female type's hand if I didn't kick it away at the last second. It took all the force I had to fend it off, but unfortunately that required breaking some things. I didn't even notice until we hauled ass outta there." He conveniently left out the part where he had to ask Mikasa to carry Eren the rest of the way, but they didn't need to know the details. He did add one last thing before stopping, "Ackerman's a good fighter, but she needs to control her emotions. I'll leave you two to tell her that, though."

The blond boy had taken his hand from Eren's mouth by the time Rivaille finished explaining. Eren was glaring at him when he thought back to the conversation he had with Mikasa earlier that day. "There's no need. I already had a chat with her on the way back."

Eren looked back and forth between the two guys before interjecting, "I missed a lot, didn't I?"

Rivaille gave him a look of annoyance and Armin offered him an apologetic glance.

Jaeger was about to ask something else when Armin remembered something, "Oh, we also came here to tell you that Mikasa's fine. We… We heard you saved her. Again."

Rivaille's scowled deepened. "I wouldn't count that as saving her life. If I tried harder to get her to eat in the first place she wouldn't have fainted. She looked like she hadn't eaten in days."

Eren and Armin looked concerned. The brown-haired boy spoke up, "She doesn't really eat much in the first place."

Armin chimed in, "Yeah. I'm guessing she only had a plum this morning like she always does. That's not enough to last a day for anyone, and she ended up putting a lot of stress on the mission. Between over-exerting and starving herself, there's no surprise that she got a severe headache and fainted."

The corporal propped his good leg up and rested his elbow on it. Annoyance covered his face as he asked the blond kid, "Who are you, the male version of Hanji? Makes me want to kick you guys out even more."

Eren smirked and chided, "Let's see you try. You got one more leg, don't you?"

Armin had to scramble them both out of the room to avoid the many projectiles Rivaille managed to find and throw at them. The door shut with a bang.

* * *

"Sorry if the stew's cold. I underestimated how long you'd be asleep."

"What time is it?"

Hanji fished in her pocket to reveal a unique object. She looked it over and said, "According to this thing, it's already 10 o'clock." A few hours had passed since the two boys left the room, and Mikasa was finally up and eating cold stew and stale bread.

After Mikasa swallowed a spoonful of soup, she watched the round object in the squad leader's hand reflect the candlelight. Hanji followed her vision to the thing in her hand and she smiled. "It's called a pocket watch. It was given to me when I was a little girl by my father. He always carried it around with him. He said it has been passed down the generations; it's pretty much an ancient relic."

Ackerman watched as the older woman rubbed her thumb over the object lovingly. She said nothing as they both watched the faded gold watch glow in the light. But, for no reason, she suddenly blurted, "Eren's… _our_ dad had one of those."

Hanji snapped her head up to look at Mikasa, watching her deep blue eyes. Her fingers were clutching the scarf around her neck as she stared at nothing in particular. She didn't need to figure out what she thinking; she knew exactly what it was. Hanji knew all about Mikasa's story and how Eren's family took her in. Maybe she was thinking about her biological family. Hanji knew that feeling all too well.

Mikasa said nothing else, so the squad leader just replied with an awkward, "O-Oh…"

A knock on the door broke the awkwardness in the room, and Armin's bright head poked in. He smiled when he saw Mikasa sitting up. "Mikasa! How are you feeling?"

He was met with a gloomy pair of eyes, but his friend replied more harshly than usual, "I'm fine, Armin."

The boy furrowed his brows, but nodded and turned to Hanji. "Did you tell her about the meetings yet?"

"No, but there isn't much to tell," she turned to Mikasa and explained, Hanji-style, "Commander Irvin has summoned us to attend meetings regarding the mission this week. Since you fought the female type, Irvin wants you there to give a detailed report on what happened. Furthermore, we suspect that the human inside the female type is someone from in the city. Irvin wants to detain them immediately, but it's not that easy when your suspect pool is so large. Since we need to narrow down results, we'll need all the details we can get. Once we get a good idea of who is responsible, we then need to come up with a plan of action. Luring them out and capturing them is going to be hard when there's not much private area in the walls. Oh, and one more thing…"

Both Mikasa and Armin sweatdropped, a shared thought being, _Not much to tell, my ass!_

"…Eren can't know about these meetings," Hanji ceased her rant with that line.

Without skipping a beat, Mikasa huffed, "Fine with me."

Both Armin and Hanji gave her a confused stare, but she didn't notice. Her eyes were staring at the bitten roll of bread in her hand. They looked at each other and shrugged.

Hanji then got up and took the tray of food from the bedside table. She addressed the girl in the bed, "The initial meeting will begin in the Commander's office tomorrow night. Oh, I brought you your things. Your bag is by the bed with all your clothes and belongings. There's a washroom down the hall and to the left if you need it."

A nod was the only reply she got before she and Armin timidly left the room.

Mikasa gingerly pulled the covers off of her bed and swung her legs off the side. She shivered on instinct when her soles made contact with the cold floor. After grabbing her sack by the bedside table and slipping on her dirty boots, she slipped out of her room. She was so lost in thought that she didn't close the door all the way.

Both Armin and Eren didn't know that she heard them talking. She heard _everything_. Deciding to not give herself away was a terrible decision. As she drug her feet down the lantern lit hallways, she thought back to the conversation. She was planning on getting up to talk to them when Armin decided to reveal her secret to Eren. Stupid Armin. Was she really that obvious? He even said…

"_The way she treats you, a lot of people can tell it's more than just… family love." _

Mikasa wanted to blow her cover just to slap him at that moment. How embarrassing! So the moment she's unconscious is the moment Armin blurts out the truth? Eren was going to try even harder to avid her at this point. Now their relationship was going to change. She couldn't bear the thought of that, and she had let her emotions go for a split second when a tear ran down her face. Judging by the reactions of the guys, or lack thereof, she speculated with relief that they didn't notice it. But now, when she was alone, she could cry.

Scratch that; she was going to clean up first.

Mikasa entered the washroom, closing the door behind her with a small thrust. She started up the water in the tub there and used the spouting water to wash her face. That's when she felt the dried blood caked on her skin, and she had to rub her face hard to get it all off. It wasn't hard to do since she was so mad at her friends. Her skin felt raw when she was done rubbing it. Mikasa then took off her boots and stuck one toe under the water. The warm water felt amazing on her chilled pores, and once the tub was full she stripped off all her dirty clothes and got in. When she took off her clothes, she ripped off the red scarf and threw it on the hard ground.

Using a washcloth she got from one of the cabinets, she scrubbed off layers of dirt, sweat, and blood. Her black hair tickled her neck as she cleaned herself, but she was too absorbed in her thoughts to acknowledge it.

* * *

As Mikasa hiked back to her room, clad in a loose buttoned shirt and khaki shorts, she was still hot with anger. Her boots clicked hard on the stone floors, and her fingers gripped her satchel so tightly the knuckles were white.

Her neck was bared to the cold, Eren's scarf stashed deep in her sack.

Once again, she berated herself for not waking up in front of them. When she heard Armin and Eren's names, that was when she actually regained consciousness (ironically, that's when she heard Hanji say she was still knocked out cold). She was going to wake up when they started talking about her. Blame it on being a girl, but she wanted to know what they were going to say.

Bad idea, apparently.

And now she bears the weight of rejection. It was heavy and it sucked. She had loved a man who thought of her as his sister. It felt like being sucker punched in the gut and not being able to heal.

The best part was that she was going to have to go through the motions as if she didn't hear their conversation. She'll have to pretend that she doesn't know that Eren rejected her, wants to avoid her, dodge her love. Now she didn't even want to put up with that anymore. So was so angry at the two of them. Angry at Armin for telling Eren, angry at Eren for being oblivious in the first place. He seriously couldn't tell how deep her love for him is—was? Mikasa should've seen it coming. She should've seen how he didn't look at her like she looked at him. There was love in the eyes, yes, but there was no attraction. Eren never looked at her like that.

And he never will.

As soon as Mikasa got to her room, she flung her door open, stormed in, and shut it. Her vision was already blurry and she sank to the floor, head buried in her hands. Embarrassment and rejection were a damn awful pair of things to be feeling, and she finally let everything go. Emotions racked her body as she soaked her fingers in salty tears. Her crying was so forceful that she started shaking and her head felt light again.

When the hard crying subsided, she only sniffled and wiped away the trails from her face. With the amount of salty water she lost, she definitely felt dehydrated again. She inwardly slapped herself for thinking something so normal when she was obviously in some sort of crisis.

Suddenly, a voice halted all her thoughts and she jerked back, "Umm, I'm guessing this is a bad time."

"Corporal?!" Mikasa shot a glance at Rivaille sitting at the chair by her bed. She entered her room in such a frenzy that she didn't even notice him there. Wait, this was _her_ room. He wasn't even supposed to be there! Mikasa vigorously wiped the tears from her eyes and shakily stood up. When was the embarrassment going to stop? It's like she couldn't get a break. First rejection then crying her eyes out in front of the corporal? What did she do to deserve all of this? She was already on the defensive as she bit out, "What are you doing in my room? Aren't you trespassing?"

"No, actually. Like it or not, this room isn't exactly yours. This whole castle belongs to the Scouting Legion, so all of the rooms are fair game."

Mikasa dumped her bag on the floor and huffed, "Could you stop being a jerk for _one_ second?"

The man didn't give an expression as he replied nonchalantly, "I was only stating facts. Didn't know that made me a jerk."

"Get out." She was _not_ having this right now. He has the nerve to watch her cry and continue to act like this? Talk about being rude—he was the epitome of it. "Get out or I'll slit your throat."

Rivaille raised his eyebrows. Didn't he just say that to her friends earlier? He shook it off as coincidence and egged her even further, "Go ahead. Then you can tell Commander Irvin that I was so devastated over my injury that I killed myself."

Mikasa closed her eyes in defeat. At this point, she had had enough. Her voice dripped with passive aggressiveness as she conceded, "Fine. Do as you wish. It's not like I have any control over it." She then shot a hand out to the doorknob and turned to him, "I'm going to your room. Oh, wait, it's not your room, isn't it?"

She was about to leave when Rivaille shouted, "Ackerman! Let go."

"_Ackerman, let go."_

Both of them were remembered of the time that he told her to take her hands off the wooden cart. She had clutched it so hard that she gave her fingers multiple splinters. That was when she was so enraged that she couldn't protect Eren.

When she couldn't control her emotions.

The corporal addressed her with a harsh tone, "Look at yourself; you're a mess. Just calm down—"

"—I just want to be alone, Corporal," Mikasa looked at him with dark orbs. Watching her expression, he could feel the pain in her twin pools of navy blue.

She took her hand off the door, but she didn't move from her spot. Her hair fell around her face as she lowered her head, and she could feel a second wave of tears coming on. Just when Mikasa thought this day couldn't get any worse, it did. The embarrassment built up and she thought she couldn't take it anymore. She was sure her face was red from constant torture. No one was on her side today. The only person she had loved was Eren, and he didn't love her back. She was going to end up alone. It was just going to be her and—

"Rivaille."

A breath caught in Mikasa's throat before she looked up. She managed to whisper, "What?"

The lance corporal sighed and looked away. He rested his elbow on the bedside table and put his chin in his palm. "Just call me Rivaille."

"Oh… Okay." Just like that, Mikasa felt a small weight lift from her shoulders. For unknown reasons, those four words made her feel better. She saw a bit of the Rivaille she met on the mission, and it was enough to calm her down. How he was able to do that, she would never know. Tension melted off her shoulders and she finally calmed down. A silence drifted across the room as she bent down to pick up her bag and place it next to the bed, gently this time. Mikasa then crossed her arms and looked away from the corporal. She had to ask, "How did you even get here…?"

Rivaille scowled at the wall he was facing. "I hopped."

The smallest smile made its way on Mikasa's face, but she tried to mask it. Her reply came out a straight, "Oh." She then looked at him and asked, "So what did you come here for?"

Rivaille took his head off his palm and looked at her with lidded eyes. "I came here break some news to you, but you're not going to like it."

The girl tensed up slightly and queried, "And what's that?"

Corporal Rivaille leaned back in his chair, stretching out his bad leg in front of him. "Well… Commander Irvin has ordered you to take care of my crippled ass until I recover."

A snort escaped Mikasa and she spit, "I've heard worse."

Rivaille narrowed his eyes. This whole time he was trying to figure out what she had been crying about, but he had a feeling of what it was. The same face came to mind as before, but he shook it off again. He wasn't going to think about that now.

With a laid back tone, he continued, "The real reason I came here was to ask if you could redo my wrappings for me. Hanji did a sloppy job. I brought the bag of stuff with me." He gestured to the medical pack that was lying beside him, and Mikasa slowly walked toward him.

Without any arguments, Mikasa got on her knees to get the wrapping from the bag. Rivaille was surprised that she consented so easily, but he could see that her mind was somewhere else entirely. Her eyes were dull and her movements matched that of a robot, all mechanical. He watched with hooded eyes as she undid the cast he had on now and expertly fastened on a new one. Rivaille could tell that she had done this many times before. His leg felt sturdier than before, and he could move it without feeling much pain. His compliment was real when he praised, "Not bad, Ackerman. You've done this a lot, haven't you?"

She put the wrappings in the bag and stood back up. She confessed, "That was my first time."

An eyebrow raise showed his disbelief, and Mikasa sat on the bed before explaining, "I've watched Dr. Jaeger wrap Er… patients all the time. It wasn't hard to get the movements; they were the same every time."

Rivaille was amused at her modesty. She was able to accurately copy the exact movements of a professional doctor. No wonder people considered her a genius. _If only she was as adept at making decisions_, he snorted to himself. He was attentive enough to catch the fact that she didn't want to say Eren's name. It was then that he noticed that he could see her pale neck. Where was the red scarf? Now it was blatantly obvious what she was crying about. She was only concerned about Eren when she visited his room earlier, what a 180 degree turn she made.

Mikasa sighed and stared at the cracks in the floor. "Is that all?"

A small silence passed before Rivaille replied, "Yeah."

The girl then nodded and whispered, "Then I'd like to be alone now. Please."

Rivaille scanned her body, seeing all the signs of a woman who was just tired. Something was crushing her spirit. He didn't push any further and got up after a long exhale of breath. Keeping his bad leg bent, he made to hop out of the room. Rivaille swerved his head to Mikasa when he saw her watching his feet. With a scowl, he said, "Laugh and I'll slit your throat."

"Okay. Then you can tell Commander Irvin that I was so tired of taking care of you that I killed myself."

With a smirk, Rivaille said, "Touché." He then made his way to the door while Mikasa situated herself under the covers. When he was about to leave, he turned to her and confessed, "I didn't watch you cry, for the record. It was none of my business."

As soon as he shut the door, Mikasa's jaw dropped. He was the only one swimming against the stream of people concerned with her life. When she thought back, she realized that the whole time he was there, not once did he ask her what was wrong or offer her sympathy.

Maybe that's what she needed. Even though he was there, he gave her space. Mikasa smiled at nothing in particular, and this was the first smile that wasn't because of Eren. Hearing Armin and Eren's conversation wasn't the only thing she overheard when she was lying in the bed. Hanji had told them that Rivaille saved her from hitting her head on the floor. That had to have been hard considering he couldn't even get out of bed without injuring himself. The corporal must've reached her just in time. Mikasa brought the covers over her face to cover a blush. Maybe there was someone on her side. Maybe there was another person she could turn to.

Screw Armin and Eren both. Mikasa was going to change things.

That's when she realized: she was free.

It was as if she was being released from her shackles. All this time, her infatuation with Eren was weighing her down. Now, she was free to think about other people and figure things out for herself. Eren said that he was trying to get her to live her own life—it just took a whole lot of rejection and embarrassment to realize it.

And maybe a little bit of the corporal's words.

As she drifted off to sleep, she kept a secret smile on her face.

"Thank you… Rivaille."

* * *

To be continued...

* * *

Note: Don't cry, Mikasaaaa! Her cry is so emotional in the anime. :( And I keep wondering if you guys get all the "cleansing" references in this chapter: the bathing, the doing away of the scarf, the rain of tears... I'm such a literary junky hahaha.

Note 2: Sooo, about the proposition. There's going to be an Easter egg in each of the following chapters, and if you guess them right in a review you get to have a cookie and _a sneak peek of the next chapter sent to you via PM! _For this chapter's Easter egg, try to guess what Eren shouted to Rivaille when Armin covered his mouth.

Note 3: I still LOVE writing Rivaille... He can transition from a douche to a caring guy in like five lines. Anyway, thanks for reading! More encouragement equals fuel for faster updates! Ja na!


	4. Rift

Note: Surprise! I'm here a bit early. Wanted to get this out before studying the rest of the night!

Disclaimer: I do not own _Shingeki no Kyojin_.

* * *

Rift

* * *

"…And based on these facts, I am positive that the person residing in the female type titan… Is Annie Leonhardt, former member of the 104th Trainees Squad, currently enlisted in the Military Police."

"Very well. Thank you, Armin."

The blond soldier let out a breath he had been holding, and Mikasa's face twisted into a frown.

After several meetings held in secret, the group had finally reached a verdict as to who controlled the titan that got away during the mission. Hanji had been scribbling furiously in her notebook during the meet-ups, and during the last meeting she went over it with Armin. He confirmed everything before taking the lead and voicing his speculations for the official records. Commander Irvin and Hanji stood behind what he said, but the people who knew Annie personally had sour tastes in their mouths.

All three of the other 104th trainees were grouped together in the back of the room by the door. Armin had his head low, Mikasa had her arms folded, and Jean had his brows deeply set. He leaned his shoulder on the wall beside him and muttered while crossing his arms, "This is ridiculous."

Mikasa didn't look at him when she whispered, "But it makes the most sense. We've gone over all the information. It has to be her."

The tall boy huffed out a breath. "Yeah, but now it's making me question everyone else. Who knows? There could be hundreds of people just like her living right under our noses. It makes me sick."

Armin turned to him. "Just because she isn't with the humans doesn't mean they all aren't. Eren's on our side; there could be others just like him."

Jean just snorted a breath and smirked. "No way. I've met a lot of people, and no one is like that kid. You guys know that more than anyone, don't you?"

Mikasa and Armin exchanged a glance before frowning again. He was right after all: Eren was something else.

Commander Irvin's sharp voice cut through the air, "Now that we've determined who our target is, we'll have to come up with a plan to lure her out for capture. The fact that she's in the Military Police force makes things more convenient, and it also means we'll have to carry out our capture the day Eren and I go to the capital. Armin, if you're as keen and intelligent as you are, I'm guessing you've already thought of a plan?"

The boy hung his mouth open and replied, "Uhh… Yes, sir, I have."

Resting his elbows on his desk, the leading officer tented his hands and waited in silence. He allowed Armin the time to speak again, and the boy fidgeted a little before stuttering out, "O-Oh, right. Well, I was thinking that we could use turning in Eren to our advantage. If we turn him in, no one will suspect that we're up to something. Also, if Annie has any partners, they'd be drawn out the moment they think we're after them. So we'll turn in Eren, but we won't."

Jean looked at him, confused. "What do you mean by that?"

Armin just stared back and said as straight as he could, "I was thinking we could turn you in instead, as a decoy."

The man's jaw dropped and he yelled, "Are you kidding me?! No way; I'm not going to prison for that son of a bitch—"

"—Jean, please," Irvin interrupted. "Let's hear the rest of the plan."

Jean shut his mouth, but glared at Armin while the blond continued, albeit nervously, "While the police escort us, Eren will escape with me and Mikasa in the Stohes district. We'll act as transporters delivering 'Eren' to the gates, and from there I'll convince Annie to get us through inspection. There's a tunnel system in Stohes that leads between the walls. If we can get Annie into the tunnels, we'll keep her from turning into her titan form. Then we'd be able to catch her there."

The commander mulled this over, playing it out in his head. He then spoke up, "There's a lot of assumptions going along with that plan. We'll need a Plan B if Annie ends up transforming."

Armin nodded in agreement. "Right. I think Plan B would just involve Eren transforming into a titan and facing Annie on his own. We'll provide the back-up, and eventually Annie won't be able to fight all of us."

Jean gripped his arms together and scowled. "As much as I hate to say this, the plan doesn't sound all that bad."

Commander Irvin nodded. "I accept this plan of action. The only thing I will add is evacuating the citizens residing in the immediate vicinity of the tunnels. That way we'll reduce our casualties if they go head to head." He stood up from his chair. "We'll have to tell Eren everything. You two are coming with me to break the news, understand?"

Mikasa and Armin didn't need to ask if he was talking to them. They nodded their heads before he ended the meeting. "Okay. We'll meet in the dining hall after dinner when it's cleared out. That should give you two a couple hours. I'll send Eren there and then we'll talk about what's going to happen. Dismissed."

* * *

"I told you: you shouldn't be doing that."

"Since when was walking a crime?"

"Since your _injury_, smartass."

Mikasa sat with her arms folded, watching in disdain as Rivaille waltzed around the room on a bad leg. With a snappish tone, she said, "I'm the one responsible for your recovery. I can't have you making it worse!"

The corporal walked to the opposite wall and leaned on it. "I do what I want," he replied in a lazy voice.

Ackerman tensed up in anger. "And I do what I'm told. Why can't you do the same?"

At this, Rivaille pushed his shoulder off the wall and sauntered towards her. She could see that he was holding in pain, too proud to show it. Instead, there was a glint in his eye—a predatory one. Rivaille looked like a lion in pain, prone to attacking any second. Injured animals were more unpredictable after all. Mikasa leaned back in the chair, scared of what the man was going to do. She would've backed her chair up if the wall wasn't right behind her. Her veins iced over which each step he took. Had she crossed the line?

When he got to her, he leaned in dangerously close and boxed her in his arms. His hands felt the chill of the stony walls as he leaned in towards her ear. Mikasa was too shocked at this point to fight back, and she stilled when she heard his sultry voice.

"We both know you don't do what you're told."

Mikasa breathed out a shaky breath before murmuring, "You're an asshole."

Rivaille lowered his eyes. He replied in a hushed whisper, making sure he fanned his breath on her neck, "Sticks and stones, Ackerman." He then straightened and stood up. "But I guess in this case, it'd be a titan's hand."

Just like that, he was back to his nonchalant self. It had been this way ever since the day he showed up in her room out of the blue. Out of nowhere, the man would get really close or lead her onto something, but then pull back at the last second. The whole flip-switch thing did horrible things to Mikasa, making her wonder if he was attracted to her. She felt things she wasn't used to feeling when she was around him, but her walls were still higher than ever. She wasn't going to give in yet.

Mikasa snapped back to reality and was about to scold him when he dropped a plum in her hands. He had fished it out of his pocket when she was lost in her thoughts.

With his same old lazy voice, he ordered, "Now eat. I know you haven't eaten yet and it's already dinner."

Mikasa—partially speechless from his approach and feeling her hunger pangs heighten—bit into the fruit. Her brows were furrowed when she slowly bit into the fruit.

Rivaille couldn't help but watch. He smirked after a moment and said slyly, "I guess you _do_ do what you're told."

Finally getting her voice back, Mikasa said harshly, "I'm glad I only have two more days with you."

Rivaille gave her another lazy smirk and walked to his bed.

It had been a fast five days after her breakdown. Since the Scouting Legion was basically told to sit like a dog after their failed mission, all they had been doing was waiting. The days mostly consisted of Mikasa's attending the Commander's secret meetings and helping Rivaille through his recovery process. Well, also eating. More than she was used to, at that. The corporal practically ordered her to start eating her meals with him. Apparently he needed solid proof that she wasn't starving herself. She cursed him more than once for his drive to keep her conscious. Faint once in front of the corporal and he'll never let you live it down. Before that started, he made her eat every plum that came with his meals. It never failed; he hadn't eaten a single one of his plums since he convinced her to take them from him.

As Mikasa sat biting into the said fruit, she thought back to the first time that conversation happened.

It had been during lunch the second day after she rewrapped his bandages. She had given him the tray of food and was about to leave the room when he told her to wait.

She turned to him and inquired, "Is something wrong?"

Instead of replying with words, Rivaille grabbed the plum and chucked it at her. Mikasa caught it with her lightning fast reflexes, but that didn't stop her from asking tersely, "Mind telling me what that was for?"

The corporal stated plainly, "It's a gift. Eat it."

Mikasa's face was contorted in disgust. "But you threw it at me."

Rivaille shrugged. "I knew you'd catch it."

The girl let out a sound and huffed, "Jerk." Despite this, she bit into the sweet fruit. A small glimpse of delight showed on her face, betraying her. Rivaille couldn't take his eyes off of her while she was absorbed in the taste. A small trail of juice slipped from her mouth, and she wiped it off with the back of her hand. When her eyes met Rivaille's, he scowled and started eating his food.

With another bite of the plum, Mikasa's memory faded. She sat in silence, just eating the succulent fruit. Rivaille noticed her silence and chided, "Sorry if I gave you too big of a shock this time. I feel my charm is a sin."

"And your height is a curse."

"I'll kill you."

"Yeah, with your dead leg."

"Leave."

"No." Mikasa let out a huff when Rivaille got up out of bed again to start walking around the room. She scolded, "Seriously, stop trying to walk."

He turned to her and shot back, "No."

This was getting ridiculous. The past five days have been rubbing her the wrong way. Every day the corporal would get up and try to walk around, and every time she would scold him to no end. This was her job she was supposed to be doing and he was making it hard on her. Why? She didn't know. But it was getting more frustrating than ever. He was going to injure himself even further and she was going to be responsible for that as well. Mikasa crossed her arms and whispered harshly, "You're only going to make it worse. So stop trying to walk on it."

He looked at her with lidded eyes. "I am going to walk until it heals, and you can't stop me."

It was like he was _trying_ to annoy her. Mikasa was patient, but this guy was getting on her last nerve. She was only trying to save him from a bigger injury. The guy should be lucky that he escaped that mission alive. A fractured leg was nothing compared to a broken one he was heading towards now. Couldn't he see that she was just trying to help? He couldn't, could he. The corporal was just walking around like he didn't even care about his own body. Have it his way then. Mikasa turned to leave the room and said, "Fine. I won't stop you. I'm through with trying to help you."

Suddenly, Rivaille's bad leg bent more than it should've, and he let out a loud grunt in pain. He was heading straight to the floor, and Mikasa's body moved on its own. A yell flew from her throat, "Corporal!"

A moment had passed, and Mikasa stilled. Looking down, she saw his black hair under her chin. She had gotten to him just in time, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

Rivaille was nowhere near apologetic when he found himself in her arms. "What the hell are you doing?"

Mikasa lifted him up into a sitting position and gripped his arms hard. With a hurt tone, she said, "You were falling, so I caught you. A 'thanks' would've been nice…"

He swatted her hands away and looked at her. "I didn't need your help, Ackerman."

"I was just trying to—"

"—Save it. Just let me up."

Mikasa furrowed her brows but did what he told. This was Eren all over again, making decisions despite her advice. Pushing her away when she was there to help. And she gave unwavering support, like always.

But Mikasa vowed to change things.

She wasn't going to give in this time.

When he was up on his feet, Mikasa did something she didn't know she was capable of: she swung her legs and swept his legs from under him, causing him to fall back straight on his backside.

Rivaille shot her a bewildered look and cried out, "What the _hell_, Ackerman?"

Looming over him, she crossed her arms. "You said you didn't need my help. Now prove it."

The corporal frowned deeply and seethed, "Get out. Now."

Mikasa saw the shining glare in his eyes, but she tried her hardest to ignore it. "I'm not leaving until you get up."

"Damn it, Ackerman, I said _leave_!" Rivaille's voice boomed and echoed in the room, and Mikasa took a step back. He was breathing hard from pent up frustration and annoyance. He just wanted to be alone.

Mikasa was about to turn around, but she took another look at the corporal and said defiantly, "No. Commander Irvin ordered me to see you through this recovery. If you can't get yourself up now I'm going to have to help you—"

"—Don't you get it?!" Rivaille cut her off abruptly, and the girl stood there in shock. From the ground, he yelled out, "This is humiliating; all of it! I sit in the same shitty bed every day thinking of how many people are dying out there because of me. Lance Corporal Rivaille, the man worth a hundred soldiers, can't even walk by himself to take a piss! And why? Because _you_ couldn't keep yourself in control!"

Immediately, Rivaille knew that wasn't the right thing to say. He watched in horror as Mikasa's face fell and her hands fell to her sides. The irony of that statement made the corporal want to bury himself six feet under; he let his emotions get the best of him and hurt someone in the process. Rivaille held his head and looked hard at the ground. The frustration had gotten to his head, and the one person he decided to unleash it on was the one person helping him through his recovery. He whispered in defeat, "Shit, Mikasa… I didn't—"

"—You're right."

Rivaille rose his head up to look at her staring back at him. She continued in a whisper, "You're right, _Corporal_." She added emphasis on the name he insisted she didn't call him, setting those boundaries once and for all. "I couldn't control myself, and now you're hurt because of me. The best soldier of humankind is hurt because of me." She then narrowed her eyes and bit out, "So don't you tell _me_ about being humiliated. I know what embarrassment is, and a broken leg isn't it."

Rivaille watched as she turned and walked to the door. He tried to move his dead leg, but to no avail. He deserved this, he knew. But if she thought she was going to have the last laugh she was mistaken. No one does that to the corporal and gets away with it. With a curt tone, he asked, "So tell me, Ackerman, what _is _embarrassment?"

She paused. After a moment, she glared back at him and bit out, "Go to hell."

Then, with a sway of her black locks, she turned and closed the door.

Mikasa realized her vision was blurry, but she didn't stop walking. She had to go to the commander's office before they left for the dining hall. Her mind was in a whole other place; the conversation between her and Rivaille was not what she was hoping her. The girl held a hand over her heart and squeezed the material there.

_Embarrassment is liking a heartless bastard like you._

Mikasa breathed through the pain in her chest. That was the first time she admitted her feelings to herself. She had known there was an attraction ever since the mission, but the past few days have made it seem stronger. Now, she just realized that they had tension because there really _wasn't_ any attraction between them. They were just two stubborn people making every argument a contest of patience. She was a fool for thinking that he had feelings for her. She played into his nice guy act when he calmed her down that one night, but he was only pitying her. He saw her as a weak, pathetic girl who couldn't control her emotions. And now she had left him sitting on his ass with a fractured leg—how was he going to forgive her for that? He was obviously humiliated even more; now he probably won't even speak to her.

But that was fine. She didn't need him. She was only there until he recovered, which should only be a couple more days. And when that happens, she was going to only see him once in awhile and not have to say anything to him.

_You were already rejected. Just don't even try this time._ Mikasa clenched her teeth.

Suddenly, she wondered why she was being so dramatic. She had never been the type of girl to fuss over this kind of stuff. Sure, she thought about Eren all the time, but this thing she had with Rivaille… It was a whole different type of feeling. She blamed it on being antsy due to the agony of waiting in Headquarters for so long. And probably because Rivaille was rubbing off on her. At his name, Mikasa shook her head. He doesn't feel anything for her, not anyone. Her feelings weren't going to matter no matter what she did.

He was just a pain in the ass.

* * *

Out of the window of the dining hall, Eren watched the trees sway under the moon. The bright orb in the sky cast a lining on the trees, veiling them in light. It had been a long day for him, mostly because he was stuck doing nothing. Come to think of it, he hadn't really done anything except wander around the castle the past five days. For some reason, Armin and Mikasa weren't around that much, and when they were they seemed on edge. Eren suspected they were hiding something from him, but he said nothing of it.

The dining hall was void of any people. Tables were realigned and floors had been swept clean. All that was left was him and a guy sitting at the bar on the opposite side. As he took a sip of lukewarm tea, Eren mulled over the mission. He remembered watching in horror as the Special Ops people were murdered in front of him, one by one. He had nightmares every night since then, and in every one he couldn't do anything to save them.

Eren also dreamed of the female titan. Something about her irked him, but he couldn't put his finger on it. It was almost as if he knew her. How was that possible?

He sat there in thought until he heard the screech of the doors opening. Eren swung his head towards the sound to see someone walking to the table he was at. He opened his mouth. "Corporal. You're walking… There's tea if you want some."

Rivaille sat down and called out to the person sitting at the bar, "Hey, Hawkins! Get a man some sake, would you?"

The man at the counter nodded and brought a saucer over to the corporal. Eren watched as Rivaille took a short sip of the drink and sighed deeply. The man lazily swerved his head to Jaeger and slurred, "Don't tell Ackerman I'm here, alright? She'd kill me."

Eren made a confused sound and strung the conversation along, "I heard she's taking care of you."

"Geez… when you say it that it's like she's my baby-sitter," Rivaille retorted before taking another sip. "But she has been helping me. It's kind of a bitch that I can't even leave my room, though. I don't even know what day it is."

Eren looked at him and answered, "Tuesday. It's been five days since we've been back."

Rivaille held his sake cup for a moment before sighing. "It's been awhile…"

Eren turned away from him, knowing exactly what he meant. To soldiers like them, sitting on your ass for five days feels like an eternity. He sat in silence when the corporal cursed,

"Irvin, that bastard, making us wait like this. At this rate the Military Police will be here first."

The brown-haired boy didn't know what he was supposed to say to that, so he kept his mouth shut. But it _was_ strange that they had been waiting so long. To his knowledge, Eren knew that he had to be turned in at some point. Did the Commander pull some strings to cut him loose? Maybe that's why he was summoned to the dining hall this late. That would be a nice ending to this fiasco.

Rivaille watched Eren's blank expression, wondering what was on his mind. This is the first time he's seen him since he and his blond friend came barging in his room. Maybe the boy was scared of him, he mused. That was fine. Rivaille thought of something else to say. "Maybe he's trying to take a shit, but the shit just won't come out." He heard Eren laugh nervously but Rivaille inwardly facepalmed. Of all the possible things he could've said… He needed some fresh air as soon as he could walk outside. Placing the saucer down after one more sip, he sat in silence when Eren blurted,

"Corporal, you are, uh, quite the chatterbox today."

He scowled. "Yeah, right. I've never known when to shut my mouth." A smirk made its way to his lips when he thought of driving Mikasa crazy with his rants. But it quickly faded when he remembered things went sour just a couple hours ago. It took him a few minutes to get back up from his "fall." He was already planning his payback when he rebelled and walked all the way to the dining hall. Rivaille knew dinner was already over from the minimum amount of noise, so he decided it was a good place to go. He didn't expect Eren there, though.

"Sorry."

Rivaille snapped out of his thoughts and turned to the boy apologizing to him. Jaeger continued, "If I hadn't made the wrong choice back then, things would've never gone that way. You wouldn't have gotten injured."

The corporal scowled and furrowed his brows, caught in a slight déjà vu moment. Mikasa had said something along those lines, as well. These kids just didn't know when to let things go. "Didn't I already tell you? No one could've predicted those results." He said nothing more, letting Eren figure it out for himself.

Suddenly, the doors screeched open again, and Rivaille heard Irvin's voice, "Sorry to keep you waiting."

Eren turned to the door and answered, "It's fine." Then his eyes went wide as he saw his two friends there with the commander. "Armin? Mikasa?"

Rivaille's eyes opened slightly when he heard Eren say her name. _Shit_. He looked towards the trio, and Mikasa caught his eye. Her eyes widened a bit before narrowing. Rivaille just kept his face plain when Irvin replied to Eren,

"We discovered a person whom we think is the female type." With that, he and the others proceeded to take their seats to start the briefing.

Mikasa was annoyed that the only seats not taken were the two by Rivaille. She pursed her lips together before sitting next to Armin, and tried not to look at the corporal. She could feel Rivaille's gaze on her, and she could tell immediately that he was still angry with her.

In reality, Rivaille was just nervous as hell. Her hard boots were definitely within striking distance of his bad leg, and she could kick him at any moment. After today, he wasn't putting it past her. The two sat in a tub of tension while Irvin briefed Eren of everything.

"Normally, we belong to the Military Police in the Stohes district. This time, however, we've devised a plan to capture the female type. The day after tomorrow, we will put it into action. On that day, Eren and I will be summoned to the capital…"

Mikasa was barely listening, having been talked through this plan many times. When she arrived at the Commander's office, the group had to memorize every plan for every scenario. It took a lot of time, but Mikasa was glad she had something to distract her from a certain smooth-talking corporal.

Speaking of which… She shifted her eyes slightly, trying to be as subtle as possible. Rivaille's eyes were scanning the paper he was given, and she watched his apathetic gaze. Mikasa inhaled a breath, irked that he had deliberately disobeyed her. The dining hall was a floor above his room, so that meant even more damage from stairs. Her eyes narrowed and her mouth thinned into a line. Whatever. He could do whatever he wanted; it's not like they were together. She couldn't have any influence on his actions no matter how hard she tried.

Mikasa sank a little in her seat and focused back on the conversation. Irvin's voice drifted back to her, "…If we can use Eren as bait to capture the servants of the titans who are trying to destroy the walls, then of course we won't need to be summoned. The Royal Capital should focus more on protecting the walls."

Armin and Mikasa waited as Eren stayed quiet. He looked like he was thinking everything over, and they were still on edge. There was still one other thing they had to tell him…

Eren turned to them and whispered, "Nice."

Both of them held in a breath. Sharing another common thought, they sighed. _Don't get so excited yet, Eren…_

Then, Commander Irvin broke the silence, "About the female type… Armin's the one who inferred it. He's also the one who proposed this plan. I decided to go with it. According to Armin's hypothesis, which he got from making contact with the female type…"

Armin braced himself, and Mikasa scowled. Rivaille noticed this and glanced at her for a moment.

"…There is a possibility that the female type is among your 104th Trainee Squad. She is thought to be the one who killed the two titans we had caught alive. Her name is… Annie Leonhardt."

A tense silence washed over the room. Mikasa and Armin sat stark still in their chairs when Eren fell silent. Rivaille narrowed his eyes; something was bothering Mikasa. She looked like she was in pain, and he had a feeling it wasn't because of him. The corporal was about to note to himself to talk to her about it later when Eren whispered,

"Annie…? How could you think that, Armin," it sounded more like a statement than a question.

Irvin explained, "The female type not only knows your face, but she reacted after hearing your nickname, 'death-seeker,' which only your peers know."

Armin chimed in, "But the biggest clue is that we already suspected it was Annie who killed the two titans. Advanced skills were necessary in murdering them, so she used her own maneuver gear. Then, during the inspection, she presented Marco's gear and got away without suspicion."

Eren furrowed his brows. He was so lost. "What… why is Marco connected to this?"

Armin paused before explaining, "I don't know… Maybe I was just seeing things…"

Eren was about to say something when Rivaille interjected, "Hey, kid. You said this was someone who you _thought_ was the female type. Don't you have any other proof?"

Mikasa was quick to reply, overpowering Armin's small 'yes,' "Annie's face resembles the female type's." She finally caught Rivaille's eye, and they stared at each other for a moment before a loud sound erupted from Eren's chair.

The boy had shot up from his seat and yelled, "What the fuck are you people saying?"

Rivaille stared hard at Mikasa when he said, "In other words: they have no proof, but they're still going along with the plan."

Mikasa and Armin sat still under Eren's disbelieving gaze. They had no other choice; the evidence was clear. And they already saw this coming from Eren, so they had to just wait out the storm. It still didn't stop the stinging they felt in their chests.

Eren's voice was shaky, "No proof? Are you kidding me? Then why do it? …What if it turns out it isn't Annie?"

Mikasa bit out in frustration, "If it isn't Annie, then she'll be in the clear."

The blond soldier whispered, "But still, if we do nothing… then Eren… you'd just become a sacrifice for people in the center."

Mikasa could see the pain in her friend's face. He was so bent on defending Annie that she was a little jealous. If she wasn't mistaken, she had never seen that look in his eye before. It was almost as if…

"How could you suspect Annie… You're crazy…"

Mikasa had enough of his denial. The girl snapped, "Eren. Doesn't anything come to mind when you think of Annie and the female type? You fought in hand-to-hand combat with her. Didn't you see Annie's special fighting style?"

Eren stood still, mouth agape. Flashbacks of the fight came to mind, and he realized why she had seemed so familiar. The boy was silent as Mikasa whispered,

"You already know, don't you?"

Eren looked at her, his face twisted in agony. He then lowered his head and his voice was low when he said, "This is crazy. This whole plan… is crazy." He shifted his eyes to Armin and bit out, "I still can't believe you think it's her… but I guess we have no other options."

Armin swerved his gaze to his friend, a look of relief on his face. He breathed out, "Eren…"

The brown-haired boy's eyes narrowed dangerously and he seethed, "But if it's not her, I won't forgive you."

Mikasa slapped a hand on the table and yelled, "Eren! Listen to yourself. This is our chance to turn things around and you know it, so stop being selfish and just go with it!"

Everyone in the room turned to look at her at the moment, even Irvin. She felt a slight flush on her cheeks, but she needed to let Eren know how immature he was being. Her frustration led her to yell at him, though. She had a feeling that Eren felt something for Annie, something that she couldn't have. Despite her being the one trying to capture him, Eren was still defending her. Mikasa's drive to dispose of the female type reached its pinnacle.

Eren's breaths were audible, but he kept his hard gaze on her. "I just want to be alone."

Irvin gathered his paper in his hands and stood from the table. "Very well. I trust you'll go through with this?"

Eren gave one last stinging look at his friends before nodding, and Irvin rested a hand on his shoulder before leaving the dining hall. Armin and Mikasa weren't making a move to get up, and Rivaille was too entertained to leave—he saw a side of Mikasa he was interested in. She was more passionate than usual, and he could tell she was bothered by something. For some reason, he was very amused when she got this mad. He wanted to stick around a little longer to see how this played out.

Eren clenched his hands when Mikasa and Armin sat still. With an even voice, he said, "No matter how much evidence you have, I still need to see it with my own eyes. That's the only reason I'm going with this plan." He slammed his chair in before stalking out of the room, leaving three people left.

Armin's breaths were shaky, and Mikasa put a hand on his back. "We did what we had to do, Armin. He needed to know."

"I know, but…" Arlert breathed in. "I'm still disappointed in myself."

"Hey, kid."

Mikasa and Armin turned to Rivaille, almost forgetting he was still there. With his smooth voice, he spoke, "Even though I'm disappointed that you're going through with this without any solid proof, that was still a brave thing to do." The corporal saw Armin slowly lift his head to look at him, and he sighed, "You knew how Eren would react, but you chose to tell him anyway. But, he'll come through. Trust me."

The two of them looked at Rivaille with confused faces. He threw his left elbow over the back of his chair and said plainly, "He's a dumbass, but he'll always do the right thing."

Armin and Mikasa nodded, and the blond boy felt a little better. He thanked Rivaille before getting out of his chair. "Mikasa, you should get some sleep. Your eyes were red when you came into Commander Irvin's room earlier."

Rivaille furrowed his brows for a short second. Did that mean she was…?

The door to the dining hall shut, and the two of them were left.

Mikasa wasn't looking at him when Rivaille spoke up, "I'm guessing you're here to bring me back to my cage?"

The girl's scowl deepened when she replied, "Do I have any other choice?"

* * *

Mikasa laid in bed, replaying the events of the day in her head. It certainly wasn't one of her happier days. Eren wasn't going to talk to her for awhile, and Rivaille wasn't going to talk to her much. She had ruined things between her and the corporal right before she needed him. There wasn't going to be any comforting talks or touches; it was just going to be her and herself alone. Is that what she was destined to be? Alone?

The girl gripped her covers harder in angst. She didn't want to be alone. All this time, all she wanted was to be on Eren's side. And when that bridge burned, she had turned to Rivaille. Despite being a jerk, he was a caring guy. She thought that maybe, just maybe, she found someone that could fill the hole in her heart.

Looking back at the past five days, she thought that they were getting along well. Their fights were their own twisted form of communication. They were both witty and snarky, and that made for arguments they inwardly enjoyed.

But after what happened today, Mikasa was sure that what they had was just disdain for one another. She just wanted to be done with having to help him, and he was bothered by having to see her face every day.

And that was it.

* * *

Rivaille laid in his bed, thoughts swirling around in his mind. The first one he focused on was that his leg was in major pain. He gritted his teeth when a jolt of pain struck through his leg, and he bit out a curse. Rivaille's arm instinctively went to cover his forehead, and he closed his eyes.

The second thing he thought of was Mikasa. She hated him, of this he was sure. Rivaille wanted to punch himself for going against her advice. He was completely selfish trying to walk all this time. He probably would've healed by the end of the week if he listened to her. But he had been so frustrated with everything that he needed to take it into his own hands. Not once did he blame Mikasa at all; he just had to be an idiot and attack her weak side when he was angry earlier. That part of his rant wasn't true, but apparently Mikasa thought it was with all her heart. Now she probably won't even speak to him, and whatever they had was over. Rivaille sighed, counting his losses.

And that's when he heard the sounds.

They were muffled, but they didn't sound good. And they were coming from Mikasa's room. He bent his head to hear what was going on, and he finally heard it.

"_Eren! Eren!"_

Rivaille's eyes widened to saucers as something in his stomach dropped. Did Eren come to confront her after all? It sounded like she was in pain. _That son of a bitch_.

He had to save her. No question about it.

Rivaille threw his covers to the side, leapt off his bed, and ran.

* * *

Mikasa had been tossing and turning with the nightmare started. It had been so vivid, the same nightmare she had had for years…

_Her father sinking to the ground as her parents' killers made their way into her house._

_Her mom lying on the ground in front of her, begging her to run. _

_A slash of a weapon. _

_A silhouette._

_Voices. _

_Eren. _

_Him begging her to fight, fight for her life. _

In reality, she did. Her body just moved on its own and she stabbed the man choking her life-saver.

_But in her nightmare, she couldn't move. Her feet felt glued to the ground and her hands shook violently around the dagger in her grasp. She had to watch as the man choked the life out of Eren, and every time she would scream, "No! Stop! Eren!"_

_But this time, the man slowly grew and transformed into the female type titan, and Eren was squeezed in her fingers. Mikasa's eyes widened and she cried in agony, "Eren! Eren! Eren!" _

_The boy would look at her with his blazing eyes and shout her name until he died, "Mikasa! Mikasa! Mikasa—"_

"—Mikasa!"

The girl's eyes shot straight open, and the only thing she saw was Rivaille's face. His icy orbs were deep with concern as he scanned her features, and his hands were clasped over both of her wrists on each side of her head. He had to keep his body over her to pin her in place.

"Rivaille…," the girl whispered in shock. With a passing thought she realized that she hadn't called him that to his face until now.

"Shh…" was the only thing the boy uttered. She saw his expression change before he whispered, "Tell me what you saw."

Mikasa let out a shuddering breath. "It's always the same. I couldn't move. I couldn't save him—"

The corporal interrupted, gently, "Shh… Calm down. You mean you've had this nightmare before?"

Another shaky breath left her mouth when she nodded. "Ever since that day. I've had it for years…" A tear rolled down her cheek and she had to look away from the corporal. Not this again. Not even a week had passed and she was already crying in front of him again. But he already thought she was pathetic, right? She was awaiting the harsh words or some reprimanding, but they never came.

Just a tender touch on her cheek, and she felt Rivaille wipe away the small trail from her face. Mikasa faced him, eyes red with emotion and mouth agape. She looked at his face and scanned his features. His bangs hanged in front of his face, and for the first time in awhile his countenance was calm. Rivaille surprised her again when he brushed her sweaty bangs from her forehead. "I heard you screaming his name; I thought he was hurting you."

Mikasa's eyes widened. "You came… to save me?"

The corporal nodded, eyes hooded and low. The girl whispered, "How did you even get here?"

"I ran."

Mikasa's mouth fell open. She felt a crack in her wall—the wall she had put up to keep her from people. With those two words, the man holding her down had managed to put a dent in it. She breathed, "I thought… I thought you didn't even want to speak to me again. Not after what I did to you."

Rivaille didn't look away when he replied in a soft voice, "I deserved it. And to be honest, I thought you were angry with me."

The girl let out a small breath. "I was, but only because you were hurting yourself…"

This girl was something else. He had been a fool to think that she hated him. All this time, she only wanted him to get better—even if that meant making him think low of her. Such an innocent girl was never going to survive this harsh world. In these times especially, it was a game of survival. People like Rivaille, street urchins, knew this philosophy from the day they were born. His whole life, Rivaille had only thought of himself. It wasn't because he wanted to; that's just the way he was. That's the way he thought everybody was. But now, he saw a girl who didn't put anything before herself. In order to protect her, he made a decision. He needed to teach her a lesson before the world did.

The corporal traced his fingers along Mikasa's face, whispering, "You're too unselfish."

Mikasa stared back at him with deep blue orbs. He saw the confusion in her eyes and he said, "You never do things for yourself. I know Eren saved your life, but it doesn't mean you have to devote it to him. I know the only reason you're taking this much care of me is because you think you're responsible for my injury, but you're not. I saw the way you looked at Eren when he defended that girl, and yet you still didn't do anything about it. Mikasa…" He moved his hand from her face to her shoulder, gripping it lightly. "Just be selfish for once."

Ackerman didn't know what to say. Everything she thought about their relationship was wrong. There was definitely something happening between them, but both of them were just too jaded to allow it.

Mikasa looked at Rivaille, unsure of what to do. Her eyes pleaded him to give her a sign. What was going to happen from here? If they broke this thing they had, was it going to come crashing down? Besides, this was new to her. She had no idea what to do in this situation. Compared to Rivaille, she had no experience in the charm department. How was she supposed to know what to do? Her voice was soft, "I… I don't know how."

Rivaille just looked at her with his lidded eyes. In the dim light, her orbs were alluring despite her innocence. He wanted something to happen—anything. But then he also saw something else in her eyes: fear. Fear of the unknown. She had been chasing a dead end her whole life, and now she didn't know where to go. With a comforting tone, he replied, "Then I'll teach you." At that moment, he let go of her wrist and sat up. She looked at him with a confused expression, and he smirked. "Now get some sleep. It's late."

When he made to stand up, Mikasa sat up quickly and grabbed his hand. He turned to her when she said, "My nightmares… I want them to stop."

Rivaille sat down and leaned in towards her. "Then make them stop."

"How?"

The corporal breathed out a deep sigh. "You only have nightmares when you go to sleep sad. If you… if you think about something that makes you happy, they'll disappear."

Mikasa furrowed her brows. "You're making me feel like a little kid."

Rivaille slapped his forehead. "I know it's lame. But it works. The woman that took me in as a kid used to tell me that."

"The woman… that took you in?"

Rivaille sat up again and looked away. "Yeah. But that story's for another time." He got up and looked back at her. "Go to sleep, Mikasa. I'll see you tomorrow."

She could only watch him hop to the door. When he was almost out of the room, she asked, "Rivaille! What do you think about? When you have nightmares?"

The corporal turned to her and scowled, "I don't have nightmares anymore."

Mikasa watched the door close before falling back onto her pillow. Her head was light and she felt her cheeks flush red. It wasn't hard to think of something that made her happy that night. She fell into the deepest sleep she's had in awhile.

* * *

Rivaille had lied.

He'd been having nightmares all the time.

Ever since his whole squad had been wiped out, there had been a hole in his chest. He would think about them every night, ashamed that he couldn't even say goodbye. But there was always someone to wipe away the pain he was feeling. Someone with black tresses and deep blue eyes.

Rivaille was about to drift to sleep when he heard a knock on his door.

_Mikasa?_

He called out from his bed, "Come in." An eyebrow raised when he saw Hanji in the doorway. She walked to the bed and stood there, not saying a word. Rivaille tilted his head forward, inclining her to speak. When Hanji looked at him, he saw a gaze in her eyes that looked apologetic. His patience was running thin and he asked curtly, "What's going on, Hanji?"

In reply, she just handed him a slip of paper. "New squad assignments. Irvin picked himself. You know the drill." Before Rivaille could reply, she was already out the door.

Hanji knew the man always hated reading new squad member names. It wasn't just a list of people he was going to work with; it was a list of people he was going to have to keep at a distance. She closed her eyes when she walked away from the room, already knowing that this team was going to be the hardest to give him.

As Rivaille stared at the list on the paper, his lidded eyes didn't change.

It wasn't a list.

It was just one name.

_Mikasa Ackerman_.

* * *

To be continued...

* * *

Note: OOOOOH who wants to see Rivaille go ape-shiiiiiiiiit hahaha. I know I do!

Note 2: Before the anime, I always pictured Rivaille's voice to be smooth and, well, sexy. He reminds me so much of a Disney character he looks similar to. For this chapter's Easter Egg, tell me who that Disney character is! Rivaille actually gives you a hint: he says a part of his name in this chapter :D You'll get a cookie and a sneak peek of the next chapter like the last time! Aaaand bonus points if you can tell me who voices him!

Note 3: Loved the massive amount of feedback! It caused me to make this chapter a lot longer AND update two days early this time. Cheers!


	5. Training

Disclaimer: I do not own _Shingeki no Kyojin_.

* * *

Training

* * *

The doors to Irvin's office swung open before an icy corporal strode into the room, ignoring the flaming pain in his leg. Stopping at the commander's desk, he extended his hand with the list parchment clasped tightly in his fingers. "What the hell is this," he asked, sounding more like he stated something foul.

Irvin hadn't once looked up from his papers. He knew exactly what his protégé was asking about. "Potentially, the best team the Scouting Legion has ever had."

The corporal crumpled the piece of paper in his hand. "And yet you know I can't accept this. Ackerman is too vulnerable to her emotions. I can't have that on my shoulders."

Irvin's pen flew across the sheets as he signed one document after another. There had been a ton of paperwork waiting for him when they got back from beyond the wall, so much so that he was still sifting through them six days later. Tomorrow, he and Eren were to go to the Royal Capital. If the commander was to look inconspicuous, it was imperative that he finished the rest of his duties. That included everything from busywork to creating new tactics and formations for the upcoming expansion missions. That is, if they even had any after this recent disaster.

The assignment for the new Special Ops Squad was supposed to be in Rivaille's hands, but since he was incapacitated, Irvin took that up as well. Instead of following the tradition of five members, the leading officer thought it best to keep the number low this time around. The entire squad was wiped out at once, after all, and having that much talent erased simultaneously did a number on the Legion. It was best to keep the strength spread out. Looking into this, Irvin went over the list of the soldiers throughout the week. After thorough research on each member, the commander was compelled to place one person alongside his most trusted soldier: the female ace. Mikasa Ackerman displayed brilliant results in each category throughout recruitment camp, inevitably coming out on top. Furthermore, her stoic but fiery nature was a perfect match to Rivaille's. Putting her in charge of the young man during his recovery was secretly a test for their compatibility as teammates. He got Hanji to report to him from time to time, and for the most part they demonstrated a high level of partnership.

Fully aware that Mikasa struggled with her emotions, Irvin placed her in Rivaille's command anyway. It was just another thing the two young people had in common. The commander finally looked up from his paperwork and stated plainly, "If I recall correctly, you were just like her the day I met you."

Irvin watched as Rivaille's face twisted in a scowl. He knew that he brought up memories Rivaille didn't want to think about, but it was necessary.

The corporal just chose to ignore him as he continued in his passive voice, "That was before I even joined the Legion, but I'm nothing like that now. She will only be a liability if she is placed in my unit."

Placing his pen down, the commander tented his hands. "I am aware of that, but I'm counting on you to teach her to overcome it. I know that you already convinced her once. If she can learn to control herself, Mikasa Ackerman could become as great an asset as you have been."

Rivaille subtly gritted his teeth together in frustration. He knew he was running himself into a dead end coming here. Irvin was not going to budge on his decision. But the corporal pushed forward, thinking of another excuse he could provide, "You heard what she did on the mission. The woman went rogue and almost killed herself trying to protect Eren."

The commander paused before standing up and walking to the window behind his desk. Looking out into the morning atmosphere, Irvin could see the trees swaying softly in the breeze. There were a couple of soldiers already assembling their gear for target practice, and everything was placid. The fresh sunlight illuminated his figure as he clasped his hands behind his back. Peering down into the forest surrounding the castle, Irvin spoke, "Rivaille, she is the main reason Eren is still here. On paper, it was you who rescued him, but I know you weren't the one who chose to. If it was my guess, Mikasa was the only one who was sure that Eren was not eaten."

Rivaille pursed his lips. "That is correct," he said reluctantly.

The tall blond then looked over his shoulder. "Then this is the best way to ensure his safety. You two are my best option."

Knowing he lost, Rivaille conceded, "Understood."

Irvin turned back to the scenery outside. "I advise you to start training as soon as possible. She's going on the mission with Eren tomorrow, so prepare her for that. You won't be there this time."

Rivaille furrowed his brows. "She's not helpless," he bit out, challenging his commander. "Far from it." A turn of his heel had him walking away.

As his corporal made for the door, Irvin voiced his observations, "This is unusual for you: questioning orders."

Rivaille stopped in his tracks. Putting a hand in his pants pocket, he muttered, "I never thought it necessary until now." And with that, he left Irvin to question his actions.

As he walked out of the room, Rivaille felt the pain registering more and more in his leg. The adrenaline from his anger was wearing off, and now he was close to limping. The next step he took brought on a sharp jolt of pain and elicited a grunt from him. Leaning against a wall, he lifted his eyes to look up at the high castle ceilings. "This is fuckin' troublesome," he breathed.

Whether he was talking about his injury or his new situation, he wasn't sure.

When he was about to start hobbling back, he saw someone turn the corner to meet his eye.

* * *

Mikasa didn't want to move from her cocoon of warmth as her eyes cracked open. As if pulled by a thread, her hand came up to tenderly touch her cheek. The young woman drifted on the verge of consciousness, wondering if what happened last night was just a dream. Had Rivaille really come into her room to save her? Did he really wipe her tears away?

Did he really look at her with those eyes?

In her sleepy state, Mikasa didn't know what was real and what wasn't. The only way to figure out what was going on was to clear her mind. Urging herself, she slowly sat up and blinked away her drowsiness. Black hair fell around her drooped eyes while she replayed last night in her head. The memories were too vivid for it to be something she only envisioned. A blush adorned her cheeks when she realized it wasn't her imagination, and it stayed there until she swung her legs off the bed and touched the cold floor with her toes. Rolling her shoulders back, Mikasa realized how relaxed she was. After last night's slumber, her body had loosened well and her joints felt better than ever.

The girl gingerly picked up her garments one by one to put them on. Her body was on autopilot as she drifted off into last night again. The corporal had been so different than usual: he was nice. Just the way he calmed her down was completely against what she chalked him up to be. Granted, she spent almost an entire week with him when he was bedridden; it was inevitable that he was going to be cranky and irritable. And what's worse, she had hurt his pride. Mikasa was sure he was going to give her the cold shoulder and that was that. But, at the end of the day, she saw a side of him that she may not ever see again.

After Mikasa strapped on her boots, she reached up to caress her face again. Her deep blue eyes were faraway, but a single thought zipped through her mind when the red scarf sitting on her satchel came into focus.

Eren had never touched her that way, nor looked at her that way. Last night, Rivaille had gazed at her like she was the only thing he could see. Was this what she was missing out on? Or rather: was this what she was expecting from Eren? After much thought, Mikasa actually felt that she was being unfair to her friend. All her life, her love was utterly one-sided, and yet she was too blind to notice. Over the last week, Mikasa realized that they could still be together, and that the bond they shared went beyond pure relationships. The pain from Eren's rejection had dulled to just a minor embarrassment, and Mikasa could move on without anything pulling her back.

Ackerman picked up the thick red material and wrapped it around her neck; she was too fond of the scarf to just do away with it. There were memories laced in its fine material. As long as she had it, she would always be with Eren. It just took a little bit longer to realize that her feelings weren't for him anymore.

Drenched in optimism, Mikasa exited her room. It was time for breakfast, and she had to go thank a certain corporal for what he did for her last night.

* * *

"You're up early."

"Well aren't you observant."

Summoned to Irvin's office, Eren had been walking through the near empty halls when morning came. The castle was sleeping soundly—so soundly that the boy was sure his boots would wake everyone up. When he approached the commander's door, the boy spotted the corporal at the entrance. Rivaille had given him a short glance before quickly leaning on the wall by the door and folding his arms. It looked like he was trying to cover something up.

Eren dismissed the curt reply and asked, "Do you have business with the commander, too?"

"You're under my command," Rivaille said lazily, "Your business _is_ my business." He left out the small detail that he went there on his own. "Now get your ass in there," he said while cocking his head towards the door.

"Oh. Right," was all Eren could say back. It was definitely too early to piss off the Lance Corporal, so he left him outside.

After Eren closed the door to Irvin's office, Rivaille was glad he got rid of him so soon. There was no way Eren was going to watch him hop a single step. Deciding that his pride was going to be protected, Rivaille stood up and walked back to his room. Consequences be damned; no one was going to witness Corporal Rivaille hop _anywhere_. The only person who had ever seen him do it was Mikasa.

Her name kicked him back to last night. The way her eyes twinkled and her lips parted haunted him in his dreams. When his body hung over her, Rivaille hadn't felt so powerful. He felt so dominant it unnerved him, and he had to pull self-control from the deepest parts of his body. She looked so frightened, like a doe caught between a cliff and a drawn bow. He wouldn't forget how flushed her cheeks were as he stroked them with his fingers. Rivaille didn't even plan on doing anything of the sort—he was never one for sappy situations—but his body just moved. The girl was alluring in her own way, and he was ashamed for being drawn to her.

Because now, they were working together. Which meant certain things to the Lance Corporal.

Stairs were the hardest obstacles to overcome, and he had to go down two flights to get to the basement floor recovery rooms. His breath was ragged as he got to the bottom of the staircases, but he begrudgingly made his way to his room at the end of the hall. Rivaille berated himself for even going to Irvin's office to attempt to sway him. He knew it wasn't going to do him any good. But something in him just wanted to try.

The fires in the sconces were at their limit, but there was natural light tumbling down the stairway. The only sounds were his boots clink-thunking as he hobbled on his good leg. Mikasa was going to be there any minute with breakfast, so he had to be sure he looked normal.

This sparked the idea of holding off telling her about her new position. He didn't have the willpower to do it just yet. The corporal was too drained as it is; he couldn't risk getting into another skirmish this early in the morning.

Once he opened the door, he immediately spotted Mikasa pacing the room. She looked up at him when he entered, and she saw how sweaty he was.

She just stood there, wondering what to say. "Where were you this early? You're usually asleep when I come in the morning."

Rivaille just scowled. "Just got some fresh air. Needed to clear my head."

He saw the look on her face and immediately knew that this conversation wasn't going to be a pleasant one. As he made his way to his bed, Rivaille kept his street face on.

Mikasa made her way to the chair and settled in. Rivaille was plucking a piece of bread from his roll when she decided to give out her appreciation. With her eyes shifted away from the corporal, she muttered, "Thank you… For last night."

Closing his eyes, Rivaille replied, "It was nothing."

He could practically picture Mikasa's face as she sat there in silence, but he had to erect his walls again. The corporal opened his lidded eyes and started eating his bread. He could tell the girl was still pondering over his words beside him, and soon it got too distracting to eat. Rivaille looked up and met her eager eyes. "Is there something wrong?"

Mikasa moved her shoulders back and stuttered, "N-No. Nothing's wrong." She then looked away and fiddled with her scarf.

"Good. I can't eat with you staring like that."

A voice inside the corporal's voice was telling him to just tell her the news. It wasn't going to be a secret forever, and the sooner he told her the better. But for some reason, he just didn't want to. It was like they were holding something fragile, and if he spilled the news it would fall and shatter into pieces.

Mikasa was the only person that didn't treat him like an angry dog. Sure, he had a caustic nature to begin with, but she was the first to challenge him on it. Rivaille had underestimated her stubbornness; he had judged her by her cover. Under that calm exterior, there was an undying fire that wasn't going to be put out anytime soon.

Well, at least until he had to do what he had to do. Breaking whatever they had without a second glance was going to douse her fire without a doubt. He just hoped that she could rekindle it somehow.

The rustling sound of clothes erupted before Mikasa whispered, "Rivaille, what's—"

"—It's Corporal, Ackerman. Learn how to address your superiors," the man bit out, his eyes shut in shame. He could just picture the look she was giving him, and he wasn't proud of it in the least. The man knew he was just confusing her to no end, but his mouth just wouldn't spell it out for her.

"Forgive me, _Corporal,_" Ackerman said slowly, "If you'll excuse me." Her chair grated on the stone floor as she stood up, and she was about to walk away when Rivaille grabbed her wrist. Mikasa's head swiveled to look back at him, just in time to see him tenderly place the usual plum into her palm.

With a sigh, Rivaille said, "Here… Eat it."

The young woman just furrowed her brows before yanking her hand away. She stalked out of the room, gripping the fruit so hard it was turning to mush.

* * *

"Mikasa, aren't you going to eat?"

"I don't feel that hungry, Armin."

The two young recruits were in the dining hall during lunch. The place was full with conversations at every table, but the girl seemed impartial to it all. Her mind was jumbled trying to figure out the mixed signals Rivaille was giving her, and she had been walking around confused the whole morning. Armin had found her wandering through the hallways when he asked her to join him for lunch, and she was glad for the distraction. They had only been sitting there for a few minutes when someone joined them at the table.

"Eren," Mikasa acknowledged.

With a small nod, he replied, "I wanted to apologize to you guys, for yesterday."

They both looked at him in silence, and he sighed, "I wasn't thinking. You guys clearly had a lot of reasons to believe it was her, and I was just being biased. I hope you can forgive me."

Mikasa just gave him a small smile while Armin replied, "It's alright, Eren. Besides, we don't know for sure that it's her. If it isn't, I won't stop you from blaming everything on me."

Eren gave him a small smirk. He took a bite of his meat before striking up a conversation. He needed to clear some things up about what was happening tomorrow. "So, I know you guys came up with a plan to get Annie alone, but how do you know she'll fall for it?"

Armin was quick to reply, "It's a long shot, but I came up with something. I know she had Marco's maneuver gear during inspection, so I plan on talking to her in person long enough for her to notice it."

Mikasa joined in, "If she reacts to the sight of it, we'll be sure that she at least was responsible for killing the two subject titans Major Hanji had. That'll also give her an incentive to do what Armin says, since she'll suspect we know what she did."

The brown-haired boy looked unsure. "That sounds risky, Armin. What if that doesn't work?"

"It has to…" the blonde said while looking down at his meal. "I don't know how else to corner her."

Eren turned to look down at his food as well. There was something else about the plan that was bothering him. "I'm going to be in disguise, right? If I am, aren't we just delivering an empty cart?"

Mikasa stated plainly, "Jean will be your decoy."

Jaeger sweatdropped. "Seriously?!"

Armin gave a big smile and said, "He wasn't too happy about that."

Eren just sat there, confused. "That… That definitely won't work."

The three of them tried to hold back laughs imagining Jean posing as Eren. Knowing him, he'd probably be paranoid the entire operation.

Eren recovered first and his eyebrows went up. The look on his face told that he just remembered something. Looking at the only woman at the table, he said lightly, "Oh, Mikasa! Commander Irvin told me the news this morning."

Giving him a weird look, the girl asked, "What news?"

Armin turned to Eren as the young titan-shifter picked up his fork. Shooting Mikasa a confused look, he asked, "Did Corporal Rivaille not tell you?"

Mikasa just stared as Armin butted in, "What's going on? Tell her what?"

Eren just furrowed his brows, his stunning blue-green eyes hard in seriousness. "Mikasa, you were placed in Rivaille's Unit, the Special Ops Squad."

Armin made an audible sound and looked at his friend. "I knew you were going to go through the ranks fast, but I never suspected it to be _this_ fast," he said with praise. "I heard he handpicks his squad, so you must be a real favorite."

Since Mikasa was still gaping at Armin like a fish out of water, she didn't notice the small look in Eren's eyes at the blonde's comment.

The girl struggled with her words. "I… I don't know what to say," she finally churned out. This was good news, right? She got her wish to always be there to protect her best friend. If she was now in Rivaille's Unit, her main goal would coincide with her top priority. She should be happy about this, if Rivaille didn't act like such a jerk earlier.

There was no way she was hand-picked by him with the attitude he was giving her. If he really did choose her on his own, Mikasa was sure that would've been the first thing he told her. It wouldn't have taken long, so why didn't he say anything about it?

Mikasa was sure she knew the answer: Rivaille just didn't want her on his squad. If she deduced things correctly, either Irvin or Hanji was the one that put her on his squad. There wasn't anyone else higher up than Rivaille to take over his responsibilities that she knew of, anyway. And if that did happen, he probably wasn't in favor of the new assignments. To the corporal, she was the girl that cried a lot. Soldiers shouldn't cry, after all.

Stuck between two warring emotions, Mikasa was in a deadlock. She didn't even register that Eren was talking to her until he repeated her name again,

"Mikasa? You alright?"

Her eyes snapped back to their full color. "Oh… yeah. Just a bit surprised is all."

Armin and Eren exchanged a look. The blond, sensing the tension, decided to switch the subject, "There's a river a couple hundred meters from Headquarters. You guys want to check it out later?"

Eren looked at him and perked up. "I could use a little break before going to the capital tomorrow."

Mikasa followed suit, grateful for Armin's keen observations. She was about to chime in when someone came up to their table and cut in,

"Sorry to interrupt."

All three of the soldiers looked up to see Rivaille standing next to their table. His voice was plain when he said, "But I need to speak with Eren and Mikasa."

Eren and Armin were curious as to why the corporal was only looking at their friend. Both of them turned their heads to her, only to see that she was glaring back. Armin blinked in surprise when Eren slowly got up from the table. In a concerned voice, he asked, "Is there something wrong, Corporal?"

Rivaille just pushed him forward, almost making him trip. "There's always something wrong," he said cryptically.

Mikasa furrowed her brows as she got up from her chair. "Sorry, Armin. Maybe we'll go to the river some other time," she murmured before following the two men out the door.

Armin turned to watch them leave, a pained expression donned on his face. Something was definitely brewing between the two strongest soldiers, and he hadn't a clue what it was.

* * *

Mikasa drank in the surroundings as Rivaille led them through the dense foliage surrounding Headquarters. Since she was thrust into her first mission out the gate, she never even looked around the place. The training grounds were littered with equipment and gas tanks, and there were huge titan dummies like the ones back in their trainee days. All around them, the trees towered over and their tops swayed like waves. Sunlight trickled through the leaves and spotted the soldiers' skin and clothes, and a faint breeze glided through the forest, gently ruffling their hair.

Eren was by her side, both of them falling a few steps behind the Lance Corporal. The man in front of them hadn't said a word since he brought them from the dining hall, and they were smart to let him do what he wanted. Mikasa felt the warmth of the sunrays through her evergreen cloak as they made it deeper and deeper into the training grounds.

When they passed through yet another training site, Mikasa leaned over and whispered, "Eren, where is he taking us?"

Tilting his head in thought, the boy replied, "Probably far enough away from Headquarters for me to transform, but I never know what the Corporal's thinking."

"No one does," the girl bit out. And it was true.

Eren gave her a look before facing forward again. "Hey, Mikasa…"

She turned to look at him. Her eyes were storming, windows to her whirlwind of emotions swelling. "Hmm?"

He faced her, and his gaze lingered before he faced forward again. "Never mind," he muttered.

The raven-haired girl blinked, twice. Eren was never one to lose his words when he was with her. What's up with that? She was about to ask what was up when Rivaille stopped in front of them. Mikasa snapped her head forward and the two young soldiers stood straight as rods.

"Since Eren was so kind to relay the news to you so early, we'll start briefing now," the man drawled, his arms crossed and his body leaning on his good leg. His voice was so thick with disgust Mikasa and Eren felt damp with disapproval.

Eren inclined his head, but Mikasa held her glare. She wasn't in the mood for his attitude right now. Rivaille wasn't being fair in the least. From last night to this morning, he took her on the worst roller coaster ride of her life. So he was allowed to pin her down one moment and shoo her away the next? How the hell was that fair? The girl clenched her hands, wishing her glare was a laser through the corporal's thick cloak. He was just toying with her; he knew she wasn't experienced at all. Now she just felt played. Was he always like this? Mikasa bet he was a heartbreaker his whole life, and she played into his game. Well, she knew better now. She wasn't making that mistake again.

Saying this to herself wasn't quelling the butterflies in her stomach, though.

A silence hung in the air while she was zooming through her thoughts, and when they died away the forest came to life again.

"Well then," Rivaille said, "Since you guys don't have much to say, let's get this over with."

* * *

Eren sat back against a study pine, situating himself in the soft grass. Some pine needles pricked him through his pants, and he brushed them away in annoyance.

The trio had found a place to sit to talk through everything. Rivaille had brought them out of the castle to discuss top secret details, and they had just gone over what was going to happen tomorrow. Mikasa was going to go with Eren and Armin, so the corporal readied her.

For some reason, Eren felt laden with tension the entire time he was there. Corporal Rivaille seemed edgier than usual, but he was doing a good job of masking it. Eren just figured it was something back from his underground days.

On the other hand, Mikasa looked like she wanted to skew something with a sword. The tone in her voice was curt and her eyes wouldn't uncrease themselves. There was definitely something wrong when Mikasa was disturbed because it didn't happen often. She was always the calm one in the situation, and right now she looked like a mess. One end of his scarf was clutched tightly in her hand, and her body was tense.

The boy made a note to ask her what was up later. Maybe she was just concerned about the mission. It was definitely risky, and they had no idea what Annie was going to do. She was unpredictable, a girl of few words and a lot more bite.

Eren really hoped it wasn't her. Please, anyone but her.

"That's it for the verbal part of this trip. Eren, you're free to go; I'll train Mikasa until dinner," the corporal said. He got up and dusted his pants for what seemed like an eternity, cursing to himself something about grass stains and laundry.

"Oh… Okay," Eren said uneasily. Was it really a good idea to leave Mikasa with him? The young man stood and dusted himself off as well. The sun was still reigning down on them, and dinner seemed to be a ways off from now. What were they going to do this whole time? But, Rivaille was the best soldier Eren had seen. If Mikasa learned from him, she was going to be a force to be reckoned with. Mikasa was already brilliant; Eren never needed to worry about her. _Until now_, he thought to himself.

A hand touched his shoulder, and he looked to see his friend looking at him. "Eren," she whispered, "I'll be fine."

The boy furrowed his brows. Was he really that obvious? "Alright. See you at dinner," he replied, his voice low. Mikasa nodded, and Eren turned to walk off the training ground. He made his way through the thick forest, wondering how Mikasa read him so easily. He wasn't able to read her at all during that whole briefing, and she knew what he was thinking immediately.

Was it always like this?

Eren shook his head and kept his feet going forward. He needed to mentally prepare for tomorrow, just in case he saw something he didn't want to see.

* * *

Mikasa's motions were rough when she strapped on spare gas tanks and maneuver gear. The combined smells of the metal equipment and gasoline wafted into her nose as she finished suiting up. The trees made their sizzling sounds above her, and she couldn't wait to get lost in the leafy canopy. She was going to make the best of training; it couldn't have come at a better time. This was an easy way to let out her frustration, and Mikasa had a full supply of it. Rechecking if everything was good, she stood straight and waited for Rivaille's orders.

The man leaned against a tree, eyeing her warily. The bangs that hung above his eyes were easily picked up by the breeze. In a low voice, he drawled, "Of all the people he could've picked, Irvin chose you. I need you to show me why."

"I heard your squads were handpicked," Mikasa gruffly replied. The gas tanks on her side clinked when she shifted her weight to fold her arms.

Rivaille looked away. "Not this one," he muttered. There was a long moment of pause, and it looked like he was contemplating something. Mikasa was starting to feel annoyed when he glanced at her sideways. With an arrogant tone, he offered, "If you turn back now, I can replace you on the spot."

Mikasa gaped at the corporal. Gripping her arms tighter, she said, "I'm not backing out that easily." She saw a troubled look flash on his face, but it quickly faded into indifference. He definitely didn't want this arrangement at all, but she was going to prove to him that she belonged on his squad. Irvin chose her himself, and if she didn't do her absolute best to do her duties, it would reflect badly on the commander as well. No matter how dissatisfied she was, Mikasa would rather fight for her position than give it up. "I'm ready," she said, determined.

The corporal just shrugged and sighed, "Suit yourself." He then jerked his head towards another training ground adjacent to where they were.

Mikasa swerved her head to follow suit, and saw that there were multiple titan dummies zigzagged throughout the clearing. There were probably twenty in total, all of different sizes. The clearing was bigger than the other training grounds, and the trees were a far distance from the group of pseudo-titans. It was a peculiar set-up.

Then, Mikasa realized: it imitated the vast grounds of a prairie or flatland territory. When they were on the expansion mission, there were no trees to grapple and the maneuver gear rendered useless. This must've been the training ground to prepare the Scouting Legion for those situations. Fighting on flatland was probably the hardest, with its plethora of disadvantages. Giving her the worst scenario out the gate, huh? That was fine with her. Mikasa rose an eyebrow and asked impatiently, "What do you want me to do?"

The corporal scowled, as if she should've gotten the hint already. "Simple stuff. Take them all down within three minutes."

"What," Mikasa asked with great emphasis. Three minutes was not that long, and she couldn't even think of a plan first? "You're not ser—"

"—Your time already started," Rivaille cut in nonchalantly. "I can fail you now if you want." His face looked like an excellent punching bag at the moment.

She was going to wipe that smug look off his face.

"The hell you will," Mikasa yelled before bolting from her spot to the clearing.

The first dummy she came across looked to be a twelve meter class, and the young woman's mind buzzed with battle strategies. Running at an angle to the dummy, she let her grappling hooks fly and attach to the dummy's shoulder. Her body propelled off the ground, and she adjusted herself to swing around and rocket towards another titan altogether. Rapidly observing her surroundings, Mikasa saw that there was another titan right behind the one she was flying towards and two on her left. Unsheathing her swords, Mikasa steadied herself. The hooks came back to her just in time for Mikasa to shoot them out again into the second dummy before her, and she immediately spun her body to accelerate. It was the exact same move she copied from the Lance Corporal. Everything was a blur, but from the slight pressure on her weapons Mikasa knew she cut clean through the first titan. She landed on the shoulder of the second dummy and pushed off immediately towards the two titans that were on her left. Doing the same thing as before, she cut down the first titan, but this time she landed on the second titan's head.

For a split second, Mikasa took in the sight of the remaining dummies and saw no way she could finish within the time limit. But she couldn't back down now—not on the very first day.

Jumping high into the air, Mikasa shot her hooks into the titan's neck and crashed down in a whirlwind of blades, slicing through like a knife through butter. Her body was headed straight to the ground, but she managed to use another titan for repelling and lifted herself again. She felt like a madman, relentlessly swinging and slicing everything in her path. Before she knew it, she had rid of all except for the two she skipped.

The three minutes had to be up by now. She had never felt so spent in her life. But Mikasa charged forward. Starting from the smallest one, the young woman grappled onto its neck. Her head was light from all the swirling her body did, but her body felt amazing. The strenuous exercise released all her endorphins, making her drunk on happiness. As she carved the titan through, she let a small smirk grace her lips. There was one more, and it was the very first titan she saw in the clearing.

She couldn't use the other titans to get to it, since they were supposed to be dead. So, she jumped as high as she could and released her grappling hooks as far as they could go. Luckily, she latched on to the twelve meter class. Her whole being rushed forward, and she bent her arms behind her back. With a cry, she flung the swords into the last titan's nape, and she slammed into it with such a big force that it lodged out of its hold and toppled to the ground.

The big target unearthed sand, and the dust swirled as the young woman stood firm on the titan's head. Mikasa held her gaze, glaring at Rivaille for all it was worth. The red scarf billowed behind her and settled back after the wind died down.

She awaited at least a couple words of praise from the corporal. Acknowledgment of his signature battle style, at least. It wasn't an easy way to fight, but Mikasa was skilled enough to copy it. That was something worthy of praise, right? But she should've known otherwise, since he only muttered, "Not bad."

_Not bad?_ That was all he had to say? It took all of her self-restraint to keep from piercing him with one of her hooks. The adrenaline wore off, and her shoulders sunk as she stumbled off the dummy. Her body was shaking with exhaustion, and her heart rate shot through the roof. Could such a short amount of time really do this much damage? Speaking of time. "Did I at least take them down in three minutes?"

"The time didn't matter," Rivaille said matter-of-factly as she walked toward him, "I just wanted to see how you handled yourself in that type of situation."

Mikasa's shoulders pulsed as she struggled for breath. A slur of foul words circled in her mind, but her mouth just wouldn't produce them. Instead, she just repeated her question, just wanting to know the damn answer at this point. When she got right next to Rivaille, she bit out, "Did I take them down. In three minutes. _Corporal_." Her ragged breath made it hard to ask the question as a whole, and she did what she could to piss him off.

The man in front of her lifted his nose and looked down at her. There was a fierce look in his eyes, and Mikasa was quick to counter it. With a lofty tone, the corporal copied her choppy speech, "No. You didn't. _Ackerman_."

Mikasa's brows creased further, but her face faltered otherwise. So she failed her first training exercise. What was going to happen now? Rivaille said he would fail her, right? But then again, the time didn't matter. He didn't say anything more, so maybe she was still in the clear. It still hurt that her efforts were in vain: she wanted to test her strength. Mikasa reached for a goal and she missed—the sting of failure was still there. Her breath finally came back, and she sighed in defeat, "Fine. What's next."

The duo went through a series of exercises, with Rivaille barking advice to her. It seemed like whatever she did, Mikasa wasn't good enough. There would always be something to correct, something to fix. She wasn't used to this. In trainee camp, everyone gave her nothing but good notes and showered her with admiration. But now, this one man was making her feel like an idiot scrambling for praise. Was he like this to all of his teammates? Maybe she was getting the heat because she was new. She had very little experience, and yet she was placed in the elite group of the Scouting Legion. Mikasa knew she had big shoes to fill, but now it just felt like the shoes didn't even want her to fit into them. Her long-standing patience was growing thin, something she realized only happened when Rivaille was around. If this was what it was going to be like from now on, maybe it was best for her to pull out now.

No. She was going to stay. There was a promise that had keeping, and Mikasa wasn't going to throw it away. If this was what it was going to take to protect Eren, she would do it.

But Rivaille was making it unbearable.

When she looked back to last night, it looked like a faded memory ground into dust. This man was completely different, and there was nothing she could do. So much for venting out her frustration during training. It was stacking itself at this point, and during the next moment it crashed down.

She was rid of all her equipment—save for dual swords—and her cloak was tossed onto the ground. They were next to the river that Armin had mentioned at lunch. Small rocks poked out of the water at different places, and the clear waters streamed through.

The tan leather jacket was sticking to her arms with all the sweat she was producing, but Mikasa couldn't take it off. Rivaille had ordered her to keep it on, since it was what she would be fighting with. When she asked why she was able to rid herself of her cloak, Rivaille just shrugged her off. Annoying.

He was watching her swordsmanship, and so far she only got twenty pieces of advice.

Mikasa went through her form again, slicing the swords in arcs. The metal blades gleamed in circles from the sun, and her motions were as fluid as the river beside her. The weapons spun around her, and she finished her set with both of them tucked behind her back.

"Focus on your footwork," the corporal grunted. He took shelter under the shade of a tree, sitting against its sturdy trunk.

"I _was_," Mikasa sighed, "Just like last time."

"That's why it still wasn't good," Rivaille said with a monotonous tone. "Do it again."

"I did it perfectly this time. I don't need to do it ag—"

"—_Again_."

Something in her snapped, and she whirled on Rivaille. "What's wrong with you," she asked, full of frustration and letting her words fly, "This whole time you haven't said a word of approval. I've been doing everything right and yet you're treating me like a rookie who can't do anything. I know what you're trying to do. And it's frustrating, Rivaille."

Rivaille stood up and glared. "It's _Corporal_, Ackerman—"

"—_No one_ is around!" She gripped her swords and stalked toward him.

His angry demeanor didn't change. "You're in no position to talk that way to me."

Mikasa flung her swords away, and they fell in clunks on the grass. Her voice was desperate, "Can you please tell me what's going on? What the hell did I do?"

"Nothing's going on, Ackerman. You're overreacting," Rivaille said as she got closer.

She stepped into the shade of the tree and went straight for him. "I'm so angry I could hit you right now," she seethed, everything spilling from her emotional well. She knew she should stop before it got worse. If anything, she was already going to be kicked off the squad and replaced. Rivaille was a relentless man, and he would push her away in a heartbeat. So, she just kept going. There was nothing to lose now anyway.

"Really," Rivaille said, his tone unwavering. "Try it, then."

Mikasa then leapt at him, welcoming his invitation. Consequences be damned. Her knuckles flew for his jaw, but she felt a hand close over hers and her body was flung to the ground. She wrestled to break free, but her hands were quickly pinned over her head and her legs were tangled up.

Rivaille was fast. Scary fast.

Mikasa was so overwhelmed with her situation that she resulted to getting into the corporal's face. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Pinning you down."

"Not that, you jerk. You're just playing with me, aren't you? One minute you want me and the next you push me away. I get it. You don't want someone like me on your team. To you, I'm just a helpless girl who can't live without Eren. A girl only suited for your sick needs. That's what I am to you, isn't it? If you don't want me on your squad just say so—"

Suddenly, Rivaille's lips smashed into hers, cutting off all her thoughts completely. Mikasa's eyes widened and her whole body tensed. She had no idea what to do. His lips felt chapped, but soft and warm. The feel of him sent shivers down her spine, and her toes curled in her boots. Time froze, and Mikasa felt like she was melting under his touch. The burning ache in the pit of her stomach was foreign, and Mikasa couldn't fathom what was happening.

Before Mikasa could respond in kind, Rivaille lifted his head and gazed down at her. His eyes were shrouded in guilt and… desire? His voice flowed like silk, "I don't."

Mikasa scrambled to gather her thoughts. "Wh-What…" she breathed, not sure of where he was coming from. Everything that happened beforehand seemed hazy.

"I don't want you on my team, Mikasa," the corporal sighed.

Her mind cleared in the blink of an eye. "What? Why?" Mikasa was thrown off guard. She didn't expect him to actually come out and say it. Her arms were still pinned to the grass above her head, but she made no move to free them.

Rivaille noticed, though, and he reluctantly took his hands off of her and stood up. "I have my reasons," he whispered, looking off into the distance.

Mikasa couldn't believe what she was hearing. She got up, all of her muscles aching. Looking straight at him, she bit out, "Well, I'm going to prove to you that I belong here. You'll see." She turned her back and began walking to the river's edge.

After a few steps, Mikasa heard Rivaille whisper something. Turning around, she shot back, "What was that?"

The corporal looked at her, leaning on his good leg. "My teammates are my teammates. Nothing more."

Mikasa reached up to touch her lips. "Then… Why'd you kiss me?" The word felt foreign even on her lips, and made her cheeks slightly pink.

Rivaille admitted, "There was no other way to shut you up."

Mikasa gave him a frown, and picked up her abandoned swords. She gazed back at him, her black tresses floating in the breeze. "So that's it, then," she stated, her voice cracking. As long as she was on his team, they could never be.

Rivaille didn't answer her question, but instead said, "Your choice."

Push and pull, here then there. Mikasa felt like she was on a maneuver gear that had a mind of its own, tugging her up and down. Her equipment awaited her on the other side of the river, and she turned away from Rivaille before he could see a tear leak from her eye. "Right," she whispered, "My choice."

When she looked back, the corporal was already gone.

* * *

The doors to Irvin's office swung open before a defeated corporal walked into the room. This time, Irvin was waiting for him.

"You're not going to eat dinner?" His gaze fell on Rivaille's tired eyes.

"I'm not hungry," the corporal said. He just didn't want to face Mikasa at the moment.

Irvin just nodded, knowing it was best to not say anything. Something was definitely troubling Rivaille, but he figured the man would solve it on his own. Going straight to the point, he asked, "How did training go? Did she clear the Twenty Titans course?"

Rivaille's eyes were drooped low. "Yeah."

Irvin's eyebrows rose and he looked down at his papers while saying, "Really? Most of our veterans have trouble completing it within the time limit."

"Commander," Rivaille said, his eyes hard and glinting.

Irvin glanced up. "What is it?"

The corporal's voice was firm, "I halved the time limit to three minutes. She completed it within two."

* * *

To be continued...

* * *

Note: So, bad news and good news! I've decided that I'm going to delete Chapter 5. I think it completely ruins the momentum of the story, so I've decided to take it out. But, the good news is that I'm going to write a whole other story just for Rivaille's gang days. It'll be after this one is done since I want to focus on this story, but hopefully it'll be a lot better than that one chapter.

Note 2: Easter Egg time! How far is the river from Headquarters? Answer right and... Well, you know. You get prizes and stuff.

Note 3: Thank you to all my readers out there. I know this chapter came really late, but hopefully it was worth it. Your encouragement is really inspiring, and I sincerely thank the people who give their time to criticize and give advice. I think my writing is getting better every day, and you guys are the reason why. Until next time!


	6. Avenger

Disclaimer: I do not own _Shingeki no Kyojin_.

* * *

Avenger

* * *

"So even _you_ noticed the tension, huh…"

"Yeah… Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"

Eren shot his friend a glare from across the wooden tabletop. He and Armin had been sitting at their usual table in the dining hall, waiting for Mikasa to show. While they were picking through their food, Eren told him about what happened earlier during training. Upon hearing this, Armin lifted his brows in surprise. He never took Eren for the type to catch on to things so quickly, so this time must've been serious.

If Eren could see it, there was definitely something happening between the two strongest soldiers in existence. Whether it was a good thing or bad thing, Armin couldn't decide yet.

"What's _what_ supposed to mean?"

Both of the boys looked up to see that a third joined their table, but not who they were expecting. Jean gave them a 'what?' look before plopping down beside Armin. Apparently he had a bone to pick with him. Glaring at his supper, the sturdy soldier muttered, "Just so you know, Armin, you're a cold bastard."

"I did throw you under the cart, didn't I," the blond returned, emphasis on the _did_. "But it's not like you're in any real danger," he quickly added.

Eren just looked at Jean and chimed in, "He's right. You're not the one the Royal Capital wants in chains."

The rowdy soldier held up his hands in defeat. "That's for sure. I don't know how you do it. If I learned I could turn into a titan, I don't know what I'd do to myself."

"It's not as bad as you think," Eren said, putting his head in one palm. "I can do a lot more damage in my titan form than I ever could the way I am now."

Armin nodded. "I just wish the people believed you were on our side."

Jean turned to him and scowled. "That isn't gonna be easy once they find out about… You know." He didn't want to name any names since Eren was around.

Suddenly, a tray clattered beside Eren, and a stoic Mikasa shoved her way into her seat. All three boys paused to give her looks, but her face wasn't giving anything away.

Eren noticed how sweaty she was. He could still tell that she had been through rough training. She never broke a sweat during regular exercises—what exactly did Corporal Rivaille put her through? He couldn't help himself when he asked outright, "Mikasa… How did training go?"

"It was fine," she muttered quietly. She didn't even acknowledge anyone at the table like she usually did.

Jean lifted an eyebrow at Mikasa. "Training? No one told me about that."

Armin gave a proud smile and chirped, "It wasn't just any training. Mikasa was drafted into Corporal Rivaille's Unit."

"Holy shit," the tall soldier whispered in awe. "You never cease to amaze me, Mikasa."

The girl lifted her face and gave the boy a half-smile.

Something was off. Eren eyed her warily, wondering what it was. After practice, she was always more relaxed from the exercise. This time, she seemed as tense as a wound-up rope.

If something was bothering Mikasa, it was best to shift the attention away from her. Turning to the two guys, Eren lit up another conversation entirely, "So, Jean, I wonder what'll happen if you get caught tomorrow…"

"Don't you screw with me, Jaeger!"

* * *

Mikasa kept staring at her food, watching the steam waft from her soup bowl. Her stomach was howling, but she was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even pick up her utensils. The boys were going on about something, but she didn't feel like joining in. Mikasa was thankful that Eren took the attention away from her, though. At least he was being helpful this time around.

Watching the brown liquid slowly move around in her bowl put the lady in a trance, and her hand came up to touch her lips.

Her first kiss…

Stolen because some jerk wanted to shut her up.

Why was Rivaille the only one making her a mess?

He made it painfully obvious that he didn't want her on his squad. That much was true. It didn't matter that she was the top graduate in her class; he just didn't like her. Mikasa was severely disheartened to learn that. After he left, she gathered her things and made the long walk back to the castle. Her eyes were burning with tears, but she refused to let them fall. Rivaille was a jerk and that was that. He was an arrogant little man who didn't care about anyone else but himself. She was a fool for growing feelings for him, but she blamed that on being ignorant. First Eren, and now this. Mikasa was starting to learn that maybe there _were_ things that she wasn't good at, like picking guys.

Suddenly, another thought occurred to her: why was she even bothered by this? It's not like she wasn't capable of taking care of herself. She didn't need anyone, and during times like this it wasn't necessary to go pining after someone. _Because you weren't pining for Eren already,_ she thought to herself with a scoff. Mikasa wasn't one of those princesses that needed saving. If anything, she would be the prince saving the princesses from certain doom. She was strong—one of the strongest, in no need of saving.

Then, Mikasa realized why she was attracted to these two: they both saved her life. They were both there when she was at her weakest, and they sacrificed their lives to rescue her.

The young woman sighed, berating herself. For such a strong woman she sure acted like a damsel in distress a lot. The only way to reverse this was to get stronger. Strong enough that she wouldn't need saving anymore. Mikasa was going to fight tooth and nail for her position on the Special Ops Squad and endure everything Rivaille was going to throw at her. His dirty tricks weren't going to work on her anymore.

Starting tomorrow, she was going to be the hero. Tomorrow, she was going to prove to Rivaille just how capable she was. She was going to be the one to stop Annie, no matter what it took.

* * *

One more boot slipped onto Mikasa's leg before she was fully ready to leave. Her room was still dim, but there was a bit of natural light crawling in from her door. If she were to guess, it was around seven in the morning. They had to leave early in order to get to the Capital in time, and she wasn't planning on holding up the group.

Grabbing her cloak, she swung it around her back before clipping it on. It felt like a cocoon, insulating her morning body heat inside. She almost felt like falling back asleep, but she strode to her door and rushed out the room.

As soon as she stepped out into the hallway, Mikasa spotted Rivaille outside his room. He was leaning against the wall on his good leg, his arms folded against his chest. Twin pools of ice watched her still form, waiting for her to move.

Just the sight of his lips made her face hot. Last night, she woke up more than once to disheveled sheets and a sweaty brow. Her dreams had been so vivid they gave her chills. That wasn't supposed to happen when you were completely furious with someone, wasn't it? Mikasa hardened her face before moving forward. The stairs were past his room, so she had to cross him to get there. Her eyes were downcast as she began to walk by.

"Wait."

The young woman stopped in her tracks, keeping her head low. She acknowledged him out of pure respect, but she didn't mask her curt tone when she bit out, "Corporal." Was he going to apologize for being a jerk? Highly unlikely. Kick her off the squad? Maybe. Tell her to shower first? Most likely. You can never tell with him, anyway. Mikasa waited for what seemed like an eternity.

The atmosphere around them was still, save for the dust lingering in the sunbeams. The fires had already died down, and the worn out stone floors made the underground hallway chilly. Mikasa was starting to think that Rivaille was just messing with her when he finally spoke, "Protect him. Anything can happen."

Mikasa turned to look at him, a determined look on her face. At least they could finally agree on something. She couldn't stop herself as she continued the conversation, "What are you going to do?"

The corporal answered her straight, "I'm going with Irvin into the city. We'll be evacuating people for safety precautions."

"Evacuating… I see." Immediately, Mikasa's eyes shifted to his injured leg. He should be out there on the front lines, not ushering people to safety. Rivaille was pushed down to a cadet's job while she was out there fighting fourteen meter classes. How was that even fair? Mikasa forgot about their quarrels for a moment and just stood there in shame. Right then, she felt more like a nuisance than anything else.

"I know what you're thinking," Rivaille snapped, "Cut it out."

Mikasa shook her head. "The only reason he's alive is because of you. I only got in the way, and now your leg is broken."

Suddenly, Mikasa felt a finger lift her chin. Her deep blue eyes met Rivaille's light ones, and she held her breath being so close to him. "First of all," he breathed, "It's just a fracture. I wouldn't be able to walk if it was broken. Second, the only reason Eren's alive is because _you_ were too stubborn to believe that he was eaten. I wouldn't have gone after him if you weren't so adamant about it."

Mikasa's cheeks betrayed her as they flushed a light pink. "But—"

"—Don't. Don't start your sentences with that word, you understand?" Rivaille's eyes were swirling, pulling her in. "That's an order." He withdrew his fingers from her chin, taking his warmth with it.

Mikasa took a step back, embarrassed by her behavior. It wasn't supposed to be like this, sharing intimate moments in the halls and the like. He resented her and she hated him for it, right?

"Ackerman," the corporal whispered, shoving himself into her thoughts.

Mikasa gazed back at him, trying to read him. It seemed like he wanted to say something, something important. If anything, she wanted an apology. But who was she kidding? This was Rivaille. He wasn't going to apologize to a five year old if he could help it.

But his eyes bore through her, making the hair on the back of her neck spike. Was he trying to say something that couldn't be said aloud? Her eyes searched his face, pleading him to say anything at this point.

He only closed his eyes and cocked his head towards the stairs. With an air of arrogance, he said, "Don't make me look bad."

Ah. So this was it, huh.

This was what their relationship was going to be if she stayed on his squad. Intimate moments didn't exist. His words hit her like a brick wall, _"My teammates are my teammates. Nothing more." _

"I won't, Corporal," Mikasa said in her most stoic voice. She shoved her scarf up in front of her mouth before rushing to the stairs.

* * *

Rivaille reined in his horse when he and Irvin made it to their destination. It was a small market square, close enough to where they could see what was going on with the others. He was careful to put less strain on his bad leg when he dismounted, and his horse was led away to a nearby stable.

It had been a few hours since Mikasa and he went their separate ways, and Rivaille was going through the mission scenarios in his head. He was assuming the worst but hoping for the best.

It would be very nice if the last conversation he had with Mikasa wasn't filled with tension and awkwardness.

He was on the brink of apologizing. It was on the tip of his tongue, about to dive into the pool of conversation. But it didn't, and he instead chose to give her another reason to hate him. The conversation dried and became a barren wasteland, dividing them even further apart.

This was the exact reason he didn't want her on his squad. It was like they were trying to grab each other when there was a glass wall between them. They could see each other perfectly, but they would never be able to touch.

He didn't know when or how it happened, but he definitely felt something for the oriental genius. Attractions like this didn't come by Rivaille often. Back in his underground days, it didn't matter if you were attracted to someone or not. You trusted no one, and that was that. That was how you survived. On the other hand, there was no point in getting involved with anyone in the Scouting Legion, with its pitiful survival rate and whatnot. It would just be a waste of time to be emotionally invested in anyone.

There was only one other person Rivaille had loved. But he left her, and he never saw her again.

The Lance Corporal shook his head, refusing to let those thoughts enter his mind again.

Someone was running in his general direction, and he turned his head to see Nile from the Military Police approach Irvin's side. Rivaille surmised that Irvin had called him and his troops over in case of an event. By choice, Irvin didn't tell another soul about his real plans. Only the people that attended his secret mission briefings and Eren knew the real reason he chose to go to the Capital. He didn't give a rat's ass about turning anyone in; there were more important matters to attend to. Rivaille couldn't have agreed more. The more people that knew about it the faster rumors could've spread. There was no way their plan was going to work if everyone knew what the Scouting Legion's real target was. It would give their targets a chance to escape before anything even happened.

Turning back to face the direction of the Capital, Rivaille leaned against a wall. There still wasn't any sign of titan activity, but he couldn't shake the ache in his gut. Something was going to happen; he just hoped nothing would happen to a certain female prodigy.

* * *

"Let's go!"

"Huh? Wait, Armin!"

Eren couldn't believe what was going on as Armin's steps echoed throughout the tunnel. The last five minutes were the most chaotic moments of the entire mission. Annie was the female type. She destroyed their Plan B in a heartbeat. They had no way out without her noticing. If they even tried to escape she would crush them without a second thought. Time was running out fast. Either he had to transform or they would all be crushed under bricks and titan flesh.

Armin had come up with a plan that had them all split up, with him and Mikasa picking one entrance of the tunnel to run out of. This way, Annie would be distracted long enough for him to transform. Despite being a good plan, it was way too risky for Eren. His thoughts were still in a frenzy and wracked his brain from all sides. It was like his head was a cage full of panicking birds. Screaming desperately, Eren said, "If we do this, then one of you might die!"

Armin yelled over his shoulder, "At least all three of us won't die. Get in position, Mikasa!"

"All right," she replied. The young woman left Eren's side immediately, leaving him holding his bleeding wrist.

"Mikasa!" He called after her, but she didn't even look back.

What was going on? Why were they doing this? Annie was a friend, and now they're treating her like a monster. They wanted him to fight her, a person he respected and thought highly of. He didn't want to do this. Anything but this. His eyes quivered as he breathed out, "How… how can you two… fight like this?"

His words halted in his throat when Mikasa turned around. The look in her eyes burned through him, her brow deeply set. There was no resistance in her stance. "We have no choice, do we," she breathed, 'The world is a cruel place."

Memories of death and blood and suffering flooded Eren's mind, bashing him from all sides. Just like his mother had been engulfed by a titan, many others had suffered.

But this time, it was his fault they were dead. Annie was the one that killed all of those innocent people just to get _him_. She wanted to capture him for God knows what, but she didn't have to sacrifice people for it. Eren remembered the four members of the Special Ops Squad, their lifeless forms before his feet. They were the most elite soldiers of the Scouting Legion, ground to dust under Annie's feet. How many more people were going to die because of him? How many more people were going to be sacrificed for him? At this point, it didn't matter who the female type was. Eren ripped his past filters from his eyes and focused on the real picture: she was a threat.

Eren looked up at Mikasa, her silhouette at the entrance of the tunnel. One of her hooks went flying from her maneuver gear, and Eren could sense that Annie was dangerously close. Mikasa turned to him, a look in her eyes that told him to just do something already. It was a look of raw and unadulterated loyalty; a look that said she was ready to die for him.

Well. He wasn't going to let that happen.

"_The world is a cruel place." _

"It really is," he breathed. _Sorry, Annie, _he thought as he nicked his wrist, _You're not gonna like this._

Layers of bone and muscle and tissue exploded from his limbs, encasing him in his body of armor. Erupting from the tunnel, Eren directed all of his rage into an attack. His uppercut connected with Annie's jaw with a sickening crack, and she flew through the air like a ragdoll.

* * *

"Commander Irvin, aren't you supposed to be at the Capital by now?"

"Well, Nile… The plans have been amended."

Rivaille lolled his head to the side, eyeing Irvin and Nile conversing beside him. They had been standing there for a good twenty minutes, and Rivaille was starting to get antsy. His hands habitually felt for his cravat, adjusting it for the umpteenth time.

While Nile was trying to get an answer out of Irvin that wasn't cryptic, Rivaille lazily swerved his head away. It was no use worrying about something that hasn't happened yet, but still… If something happened to Mikasa, Rivaille's shoulders would sink to the ground from the guilt. His eyes lowered as his thoughts lingered back to what happened during training.

"_If you turn back now, I can replace you on the spot."_

_He watched as Mikasa gaped at him, looking like a beached whale. Her folded arms scrunched together even more before she shot back, "I'm not backing out that easily." _

All he wanted to do was give her an easy way out, but the way he said it made him want to shoot himself. It was low of him to even offer her the choice. As soon as the words left his mouth he regretted them, but it wasn't like he could take them back. He had to keep his street face on.

"_What do you want me to do?"_

"_Simple stuff. Take them all down within three minutes." _

When he did the course the first time, Rivaille was so fast he cleared it with half the time left to spare. Irvin told him he had six minutes to complete the course, but he knew that was more than enough time. Maybe that was why he bent the rules for Mikasa—to see if she was on par with him. Or maybe he was just a sadist at heart.

"_What? You're not ser—"_

"_Your time already started," Rivaille cut in. _It was a cold move, but he couldn't take standing next to her any longer._ "I can fail you now if you want." Letting his smug expression fly, he hoped it would make her leave already. _

"_The hell you will!"_

_She charged straight for the group of titan dummies, leaving a trail of dirt in her wake. Rivaille felt his shoulders finally relax, and he started the countdown in his head. He watched as she ran towards the foremost titan at an angle, and easily grappled on. Thinking she was going to rid of it first, he was surprised to see that she used it as leverage instead and went straight for the next one. His eyes widened when memories of him executing the exact same strategy came rushing back. _

_And when Mikasa started to twist her body at an alarming rate, it was like he was watching himself. _

_Time seemed to creep by as she relentlessly took down all the targets. Rivaille couldn't believe what he was seeing. Mikasa was a lot of things, but the one thing that stood out was how graceful she was. It was like watching a dangerous trapeze act, and Rivaille was more into it than he cared to admit. He would never say it out loud, but the Lance Corporal had finally found a rival. _

_All of a sudden, Mikasa screamed, throwing her swords into the last titan's nape and slamming into it with full force. It was the grand finale, and the titan dummy shook the ground when it fell. Dust swirled from the training grounds, shrouding Mikasa as she stood resolute on the titan's head. _

_Rivaille held in a breath, too stunned to say anything. If he was counting right, she completed everything in one minute and fifty seven seconds. _

_That was ten titans per minute. One whole minute less than his completion time. _

_He wanted to walk towards her and tell her how impressed he was. He wanted to keep staring at the hair plastered to her forehead and her heaving chest. He wanted so many things at that moment… So many things he couldn't have._

_With all the self-restraint in the world, he squeezed out, "Not bad."_

Rivaille winced as the memory resurfaced. "Not bad" was the last thing he wanted to say, but he couldn't let her see his true thoughts. It was damn selfish of him, but he couldn't help himself. Things weren't supposed to happen this way. Just when things between them were starting to move along, a rift tore them apart. Rivaille knew the implications of this match, but Mikasa didn't. He needed to find a way to make her realize that, if she stayed, things weren't going to be the same. He just couldn't attach himself to anyone he was going to be working close to.

But when she finally snapped, that was the last straw.

"_What's wrong with you," she suddenly asked him after the twentieth time he told her to execute her sword form again. "This whole time you haven't said a word of approval." _

Not out loud.

"_I've been doing everything right and yet you're treating me like a rookie who can't do anything." _

You are doing everything right. I'm the one doing everything wrong.

"_I know what you're trying to do. And it's frustrating, Rivaille." _

"_It's _Corporal, _Ackerman." _

Say my name again.

"_I'm so angry I could hit you right now." _

"_Really. Try it, then." _

I deserve it.

And he did. The entire time, his comments were no less than harsh. It was amazing how much of it she actually endured; most people would've given up hours before she did. He worked her to the core, thinking of every possible exercise that would make her quit. But she overcame them all, including his constant nagging. She had starch; that was for sure. Mikasa showed him that she was willing to do anything and everything to stay on his team. When he saw her determination, how raw it was, his heart sank. There was no getting in the way of her attachment to Eren. Whatever they had, it was strong. He still had trouble wrapping the idea around his head. A month ago, it was only an annoyance. Why would a capable young woman like her be so attached to some stupid kid? It made absolutely no sense to him.

But after he got to know her, another caged emotion flowed from Rivaille's core: jealousy. It was a foreign feeling to him; he never had any reason to feel envious. Throughout his underground days and his time in the Scouting Legion, not once had he felt the fangs of envy latch onto him. When Mikasa came along, however, he was almost sucked dry. She had taken care of him; she was there to talk when no one else was around; she was the only one that was brave enough to challenge him and his grouchy attitude. Mikasa's tender side shifted to someone else for a change, and it was refreshing. Now that she was back to focusing solely on Eren, it didn't settle well with Rivaille. He wanted her attention again.

All of it.

It was this build-up of envy and tension and frustration that led him to kiss her. It's not like he really needed to. There were a thousand more ways to get her to shut up. It just happened, and he was able to steal a taste of her lips.

The dreams that haunted him paled in comparison to reality. She tasted unique—no other word to describe it. The way her inexperienced body tensed only encouraged him. Mikasa practically melted under his chapped lips, fueling his desire for more.

But he couldn't have more, could he. This was all he could have, a tiny flare before the fire died out.

Rivaille was so lost in his thoughts that the nearby explosion made him almost jump. A blast erupted a ways from where he was standing, and he could see the telltale steam wafting to the heavens.

Nile was the only one in pure shock. "What the…" His voice was harsh when he called to the people perched on the buildings. "Convoy Squad! We'll handle things here ourselves, you go check what's going on over there!"

Irvin kept his blazing eyes on the vertical trail of steam. "Nile, dispatch all your available troops immediately. Act under the assumption that titans have made their appearance."

The captain was caught off guard, yelling back, "What are you even talking about? This is Wall Shina for crying out loud! There's no way titans can appear here!" Rivaille could tell he was just reassuring himself more than anything.

When Irvin just gave him a look, the Military Policeman halted his rant. "Irvin…," his voice was a lot quieter and shakier now, "Just what are you trying to do?"

Rivaille couldn't take his eyes off the impending scene before them. The female type was there, without a doubt. Mikasa was on her own this time. He wasn't going to be able to save her.

The corporal clenched his fist so hard his knuckles turned white.

_Don't you dare die, Ackerman._

* * *

Mikasa watched as Annie slammed into the church of the Wall Cult. The building crumbled like cheese under her weight, and Mikasa flung herself onto a nearby building. She couldn't—she wouldn't—make any mistakes this time. She had to control herself, and charging in headfirst wasn't the right option right now. She silently thanked the Lance Corporal for beating that into her head.

As soon as the female type regained her composure, she ran. To their surprise, Annie headed not towards Eren, but straight for the Wall. Mikasa followed her from a safe distance, watching as soldier after soldier went down. They were making the same mistakes she did, charging straight for her. Some of them had a plan to go for her legs to stop her, but she quickly swiped the rooftops off buildings to shield herself.

Mikasa took this opportunity to make her move. Adjusting her hooks accordingly, Ackerman swung in an arc. The wind blew past her face as she approached her target like a missile. As soon as the female type's arm raked another pile of roof shingles, Mikasa flew next to her exposed face. Her body twirled, sending her swords flying into Annie's cheek to create a deep gash. Mikasa immediately fled to land on the ground, and Armin appeared from behind her,

"Good job, Mikasa! Attack from her blind spot next!"

Ackerman swerved her head to her friend. "Understood!" Annie didn't have many blind spots, but Mikasa was determined to find them. She had to. Her hands clenched onto her weapons as she geared up to attack again. _It's my fault…,_ she thought with a heavy heart, _that the strongest soldier of the Legion is unable to fight right now._ Her brows furrowed as she realized: this wasn't about Eren. Her job was to protect him on this mission, but her heart had other plans. It was the first time she was doing something for someone other than her childhood friend. She couldn't think of anything else at that moment other than redeeming herself to Rivaille. He deserved it, no matter how much of a jerk he had been acting lately. Besides, he had a reason to be acting that way. No matter how you sliced it, Mikasa was the reason he ended up disabled. Thinking back, she was the one that wasn't being fair.

But now, she was going to finish things. _I'm gonna take responsibility, and I'll be the one to—_

Shit. Annie barreled straight through one of the flattest areas in the city. Even though Mikasa went through the training for flatland battle yesterday, there was no way she was going to catch up to her in time. Everyone around her was yelling different things, but suddenly the ground under them shook. Mikasa looked up to see Eren's titan form rushing after Annie, digging his feet into the ground with every step. While he was in pursuit, Mikasa and Armin grappled onto the nearest rooftop to meet with Hanji.

The squad leader sounded relieved, "Looks like this time around he managed not to lose his self after transforming. In that case, let's believe that Eren is going to buy us enough time." She yelled across the rooftops to the other fighters, "Split up into two groups! Secure the female type no matter what it takes!"

Mikasa was confused. Annie's main goal was to capture Eren. Did she give up on kidnapping him and decide to escape? That didn't make sense. She didn't come all this way to just give up like that. Annie was a fierce contender, and she didn't seem like the one to throw away everything on the spot. If anything, she was only luring Eren to follow her. After all, this was her last chance to capture him.

Her thoughts were confirmed when both of the titans stopped before the Wall. A fight broke out between the two giants, and Mikasa bolted from her place to catch up to them. Armin was struggling to keep up, but she wasn't stopping. The fight didn't last long, and Annie fled Eren's limp form to head straight towards the Wall. Everyone watched in horror as one clawed hand gripped the hard surface. Mikasa cursed when they all realized she was going to scale the barrier. In no time, Annie was already halfway up.

From behind her, Armin cried out, "She's fast! At this rate, she'll get away!"

"I won't let her!" Mikasa forced her legs to go faster, pounding the cobblestone street with her boots. She dashed past Eren's sizzling titan form when Armin stopped following her. She could barely hear his desperate pleas as she bulldozed forward,

"Mikasa, wait! Stop! Don't go after her!"

Her surroundings blurred into shapes and colors as Mikasa raced to the Wall. As soon as she was in reach, she let her hooks fly. Mikasa latched onto the stony partition for a split second before she used all her strength to catapult herself upward. The sky burst forth, rushing closer to her with each desperate fling of her body. Her ears ached from the pressure and she was sure her gear was going to malfunction, but there was no turning back. One last jump had her soaring above Annie, the Wings of Liberty flaring out of her back. _For Eren! _Her swords served as talons as she sliced straight through Annie's fingers in one go. The titan seemed stunned as her arm fell limp by her side, but Mikasa was relentless as she immediately severed the female type's other hand.

Annie was picked off the Wall like a leaf off a tree. As Mikasa looked into her empty eyes, she felt no remorse. Her adrenaline levels were off the charts, and she was so enraged that she wanted more. There was no turning back. She was going to end this. Dropping herself onto Annie's face, she seethed, "Annie… Fall." Every muscle in her body tightened as Mikasa kicked off the female type, rubbing salt in her wounds.

_For Rivaille_.

Mikasa tilted her nose up and stared down at Annie's falling form, watching as she slammed into the ground with a deafening crunch. Eren straddled her immediately and ripped her head free, and the rest of Hanji's group surrounded Annie's nape. Mikasa's breaths were heavy as the commotion below unfolded. She kept her eyes peeled to see if her efforts were in vain.

All of a sudden, a burst of light erupted below her, and Mikasa was met with billowing steam. In frustration, she bit out, "Now what!" If Annie managed to escape, Mikasa wasn't going to forgive herself. She had done everything in her power to stop her.

Her thoughts were halted when something crackled beside her. She swiveled her head just in time to see chunks of the Wall dislodging and dropping to the ground. "That's not good… Pieces of the Wall are falling off—"

She froze.

_What…_ Mikasa couldn't believe what she was seeing. Buried inside the very walls that protected them… was a titan. If there was one, there could be hundreds of them, lined along the expanse of the barriers. _Why would there be titans in the walls? _Her eyes never left the enormous titan's face, watching its eye as it… Moved to look at her?

Mikasa's grip had never been tighter as she readied her weapon. Every hair on her body stood on end as she prepared for anything.

* * *

"Rivaille, we're heading back."

"Hn."

Irvin had gotten word from Hanji via a messenger, and from the look on his face it wasn't what he wanted to hear. As the two readied their horses, the corporal watched the older man's face. Almost nothing troubled him, so what was so different about this time?

As if reading his thoughts like a book, Irvin spoke, "We've been compromised."

Rivaille tightened the straps of his saddle, irked that he couldn't see over his horse. "How so," he asked.

Irvin shook his saddle, checking for sturdiness. "You'll see once we get back," he replied, in his bothersome manner of speech.

"Of course," the corporal sighed. His bangs shifted when Irvin's horse rushed past him. Rivaille mounted his own steed and nicked its sides. Irvin was just ahead of him as they raced through the streets and back to Headquarters.

Along the forest trail, they intercepted Hanji's procession. There was a gigantic crystal being pulled on a makeshift sled, with the Legion soldiers surrounding it on all sides. It was nothing like he had seen before. Just what was that thing?

Irvin ordered his horse towards the front of the group while Rivaille stayed behind. Trailing the giant rock were carts carrying the injured. The corporal's lips were tight as he pulled his horse in their direction. To his relief, Rivaille spotted Mikasa walking next to a rickety wagon—no doubt staying next to Eren. Relief and jealousy intertwined in his stomach as Rivaille led his horse next to the young woman.

It took her awhile to register he was even there. What's going on? Her mission was to protect Eren, and she did it. Rivaille exhaled a breath and gave her a once over. There wasn't a single cut or bruise on her skin, but that wasn't his concern. Her shoulders were drooping as much as the bags under her eyes, and her chest was shuddering. She looked disturbed, like she'd been jinxed or something. He furrowed his brow. First Irvin and now Mikasa were perturbed. If they both weren't acting normally, something big was on the horizon. Rivaille rolled his eyes, not liking the situation at all.

Whatever was in that crystal was the answer and the question.

They walked under the shade of the trees when Mikasa finally realized he was there. She looked up and acknowledged, "Corporal…"

Rivaille extended his hand to her, his cloak flowing off his lean arms. "Rest your legs," he whispered, offering her a ride.

Mikasa glanced at his hand before looking back up at him.

The corporal rolled his eyes. "Come on," he said.

Mikasa furrowed her brows, but she took his hand. Rivaille gently pulled her up behind him and felt her warmth blanket his back. He felt a slight rustle as Mikasa couldn't decide what to do with her hands, and he sniffed in amusement. "I don't bite," he whispered over his shoulder. The girl tensed, but reluctantly wrapped her arms around his waist. It felt like she barely wanted to touch him, and Rivaille's lidded eyes lowered. But then, her arms held him close and Mikasa eased into him. Her head fell softly on his back, letting him know just how out of it she was. There was definitely something bothering her, and he wanted to know what it was.

His voice was as gentle as he could make it when he whispered, "You wanna talk about it?"

Mikasa sighed, her hot breath tingling the back of his neck. It took a moment before she answered back, "Not now."

Rivaille nodded, keeping his eyes on her. Her bangs dropped in front of her eyes and she stared into space. Whatever was bothering her was starting make him antsy. He shifted the conversation, pulling her thoughts back to him. "How's Eren," he whispered, peering down at the boy in the cart. He was unconscious, but it didn't look like he was damaged all that much.

The corporal felt Mikasa's breath on his shoulder when she replied, "He'll be fine. He just needs to rest." Her voice was soft, almost as if her mind was in another place.

Rivaille nodded before another question tumbled from his lips, "What happened to the female type?"

Mikasa squeezed her arms together, taking him by surprise. Her hot breath fanned his back when she said angrily, "She got away."

"What do you mean," Rivaille asked softly.

The words gushed out of her like she was a broken dam, "Annie transformed when we cornered her, but she stopped trying to capture Eren and tried to escape. She was able to reach the Wall and she started climbing. I was able to stop her, but then she crystallized and now no one can break through to her—"

"Shh," Rivaille whispered, halting her rant. He faced forward as he slowly asked, "You stopped her?"

"Yeah, I did," Mikasa hissed behind him, "But it wasn't enough. I failed. I should've killed her."

Rivaille tried to recreate the situation in his head. The only way the female type could've been stopped would've been to kill her before she reached the top. But Mikasa said she got away, so how did that pan out? He was slightly confused. "How," was all he asked.

Mikasa was silent for awhile before answering matter-of-factly, "I figured she couldn't keep climbing if she didn't have fingers."

Rivaille's eyes widened when her words sank in. _This girl…_ he thought to himself. How he was able to survive a week with her, he couldn't comprehend. He shuddered at the fact that she could've done him in any time she wanted. He was a suicidal fool for bothering her so much. But he would do it all over again.

The girl was strong, and she had a driving force like no other. Here she was telling him that she single-handedly took down a fourteen meter class, and yet she said she failed? How high were her expectations? She never failed to surprise him at least, and Rivaille was starting to think that having her with him was the right choice. There wasn't anyone with more drive than her, and her determination was contagious.

"I did everything I could," she whispered dejectedly, clenching her hands into rocks.

A wind current made its way through the trees, rustling the canopy above them.

Just for this moment, Rivaille let his guard down. For once, he wanted to show her his true thoughts. No bullshit; no hiding. Placing a hand on her balled fists, he felt her relax under his touch. Looking over his shoulder, he came face to face with her. Her black tresses fluttered in the breeze, framing her porcelain face. Her deep indigo pools clashed with his frozen orbs, and for a moment they were in a world of their own. His voice was a paradox of rough silk as he whispered, "You did more than enough, Mikasa."

After all this time, he finally voiced his approval out loud.

And the look on her face told him it was worth it.

* * *

To be continued...

* * *

Note: This is where the story will veer off the manga! I have other plans for our super-dynamic titan-crushing duo (which includes a lot more Rivaille than the _actual_ storyline as of late...).

Note 2: I now have a tumblr for those of you who don't know yet! (edit: username is digibearff) It was super counterproductive of me, but this way I can freely answer any questions and even post things about my stories.

Note 3: There won't be anymore Easter Eggs, by the way. (whaaaaaat.) Because I'll be posting sneak peeks on my tumblr page! (WHAAAAAT?) It'll be easier and that way more people can read them. Thanks for the amazing support and I'll see you after my exams!


	7. Riders

Disclaimer: I do not own _Shingeki no Kyojin._

* * *

Riders

* * *

"So she bitched out, huh…"

"…"

Mikasa couldn't even make a coherent reply to Rivaille. Not when she was this mad. Her bones felt like liquid metal; her body fuming with rage. After everything she had done, Annie was still able to get away. Why didn't they kill her sooner? If they didn't hesitate after she fell to her doom, Annie would've been done for. If she was in their position, there would've been no hesitation.

Did she really have to do everything herself? Was she really the only one who would've gotten everything done? Mikasa furrowed her brows as Rivaille walked a couple steps towards the upright crystal, the rock chained and stabilized with wooden planks.

No. Even _she _couldn't get everything done. Annie could've been dead long before she hit the ground in the first place. Mikasa should've sliced her nape clean through when she had the chance. Why didn't she?

Annie's hands were occupied when she was scaling the Wall. She couldn't have covered up her nape and kept climbing at the same time. So why didn't Mikasa go straight for the kill? It would've been so easy to swing onto her neck and cut Annie through… But she didn't. Instead of controlling herself and choosing the quickest route, Mikasa let her emotions take control of her again. She wanted Annie to feel pain; wanted her to feel helplessness. She wanted Annie to know who she was dealing with when she put Eren in danger.

She wanted Annie to see who would end her.

Mikasa let her emotions go, and once again, failed to reach her goal. Whispering fiercely under her breath, Mikasa said, "I did…"

Rivaille turned his head slightly to gaze back at her. His eyes gleamed in the firelight as they roamed over her face. Mikasa swore she could feel his stare on her like the very tip of a sword on her skin. He was trying to figure her out, and she felt slightly uncomfortable under his scrutiny. She wasn't about to show it, though.

There was something else in his look, but Mikasa wasn't in the mood for deciphering the corporal right now. He turned back to the glittering capsule, offering no reply to her.

And the female ace wasn't expecting one. Her eyes flickered back to Annie's placid face, shattered by the crinkled crystal. She looked like an abandoned doll, sleeping away in a smashed case.

A doll that Mikasa wanted to throw away.

The young woman hardened her face before marching straight up to the stone chamber, earning looks from Rivaille and the other soldiers in the dungeon. Furrowing her brows, she stared long and hard at the crystal, looking for any clues as to what it was. From what she heard from Major Hanji and her helpers, it was unbreakable. There weren't any imperfections and the material was harder than anything humans have come across. Mikasa clenched her fists in frustration; wanting to punch something that couldn't break was a terrible feeling. Instead, she placed a hand on the gleaming rock and roamed its surface with her fingers.

How strange: it felt _brittle_. Earlier, not even the hardest weapons could make a crack in its surface. They tried pretty much everything that they had, but to no avail. So why did Mikasa feel like she could punch straight through? Turning to Rivaille, she called him over, "Corporal."

The man gave her a questioning look before walking up next to her. Mikasa tapped the crystal while pointing out, "Major Hanji and the others couldn't break through this material, but for some reason it feels really weak."

Rivaille put his hand up to the rock and rubbed it. The crystal indeed felt like he could break a piece off if he wanted to. A memory from the mission surfaced as he tried to come up with an answer to the situation. Glancing at Mikasa, he asked, "You said she generated this chamber right before they tried to kill her?"

Mikasa's face was deeply set as she remembered the billowing steam. "Yeah."

The corporal's lidded eyes slid back to the shimmering chamber. In a rough voice, he speculated, "Remember how she could harden her skin? Even though we couldn't slice her when she did, pieces of the hard layer practically flaked off like damn lizard skin. Maybe that could be connected to… whatever this is," he turned and stepped away, "I'll get Hanji to inspect it further. I'm sure she'd be more than happy to feel up Annie's cocoon."

"If that was a joke it wasn't funny," Mikasa bit out.

"Tough crowd," Rivaille jeered back.

The young woman glared at him before walking to the stairs. She didn't want to look at Annie's face anymore. "I'm going to see Eren," she said for no reason as she brushed past the corporal. It's not like Rivaille needed to know wherever she went. It just came out.

From behind her, the corporal just watched her retreating back. Heat radiated from her in all directions, and he could tell she wasn't having any bullshit at the moment. Taking one more look at the crystal, his lidded eyes blinked before he turned and followed his teammate.

When she heard footfalls behind her, Mikasa looked back and saw Rivaille trailing her. "Corporal?"

"What?" He explained like she was supposed to know his intentions already, "I'm going with you. My leg is starting to feel much better. I just need to walk on it a bit more."

"That's the lamest excuse I've ever heard."

"Considering the fact that I am indeed _lame…_" Rivaille trailed off, waiting for her to catch her own pun, "It works."

"Whatever," Mikasa blurted before walking away. Now was not the time for arguing. She needed to see Eren safe and sound.

* * *

"Some escape plan _you _had… I was this close to getting thrown into _actual_ prison!"

"We would've gotten you out if you did!"

Armin held his hands up in defense, keeping his distance from Jean as they made their way to Eren's recovery room. Unfortunately, the narrow corridors of the basement gave him limited space; he was practically hugging the cold stone walls. The torches above him warmed his halo of blond hair as he turned to face forward again. With a serious expression, he said, "Jean, were you briefed at all? About what happened?"

The young man in question gave a snort and replied, "Couldn't exactly get briefed when I was hauling ass out of the Capital. I sweat so much today that it's all pooling in my—"

"—O-Our speculations were right. Annie did turn out to be the female type," Armin interjected, not wanting to know where Jean's sweat had been accumulating.

Kirschtein's eyebrows shot towards his hairline in surprise. With a praising tone, he said, "Damn… You haven't been wrong yet, Armin. Mind telling me my future?"

Armin gave him a look before replying, "I just look at the facts and put them together like a puzzle. It's nothing special like fortune telling."

Jean shook his head. "Fortune telling is nowhere near as special as what you can do. At least your predictions come true."

The young man silently thanked Jean with a half-smile before continuing the briefing, "There are… some other things you need to know."

"Now what," Jean huffed in frustration.

"Well," Armin trailed off before saying, "Annie tore the town apart trying to escape. She managed to get all the way to the Wall before climbing it."

"She did what!" Jean exclaimed.

"Yeah. Mikasa was able to stop her, but when we were about to capture her she was able to crystallize herself. It looked like some self-induced coma."

"What the hell…" Jean put a hand on his brow as he tried to process everything. This was starting to be a bit ridiculous, but it had to be true if Armin was telling him about it. He looked back at his teammate, watching the boy's face. It looked like he still had something to say. With a worried tone, Jean asked, "There's more, isn't there?"

Armin's eyes were full of curiosity and fear as he pursed his lips. "If I told you the last part, you wouldn't believe me," he whispered.

Jean cast his eyes down to the floor. The firelight illuminated his hair and outlined his facial structure, masking the rest of him in shadow. "Try me," he breathed.

The other young man paused, trying to put his words together. Even he was still trying to process this last chunk of information. "It appears that… there are titans in the Walls."

After Armin said that, it felt like an eternity before Jean finally responded in his own way, "Are you fucking kidding me."

Armin shook his head. "They don't seem like regular titans at all either. All of them are as big as the colossal titan, and it looks as if they're spread all along the barriers."

Jean couldn't think of another reply he was so shocked. There was no explanation whatsoever for there to be titans residing in the very walls that protected humanity from them. It just didn't add up. He cursed right when they got to Eren's door, and Armin had to hush him.

Both boys stood before the recovery room, one still in shock and the other one worried about his friend. The cold air was drifting around their bodies, mingling with the warmth of the torch lights. Armin pushed his ear into the entrance before putting his hand on the knob. When he figured it was safe to enter, he opened the wooden door.

When in the room, all Armin saw were two people staring down at an unconscious Eren.

"Oh, Mika—"

"Shh," the young woman replied with a finger over her mouth. She was settled into a chair by Eren's beside.

Corporal Rivaille was also there, and he just gave him a look that screamed pain if he uttered another word. The man had been standing next to Mikasa, between her and the bedside table.

From behind him, Armin could tell Jean was caught off guard by the sight of the two soldiers in the room. He hadn't seen the two of them together like Armin had, so he didn't know about the tension between them. But right now, it didn't feel tense in that room at all. If anything, it felt calm with the two strongest soldiers in existence watching over his best friend. Like Mikasa, Eren looked the most peaceful when he was fast asleep. Overall, the room was placid.

Armin made his way over to the bed while a jealous Jean walked behind him. The blond thought about bringing a chair over, but he was scared to make any noise at all. So he settled for the bed, taking off his shoes before gingerly placing himself on the edge.

Kirschtein just leaned on the dresser by the bed, standing next to Armin. Apparently even he didn't want to make any noise. Mikasa and Rivaille were indeed threatening.

For a long time, the room was silent. Only the barely audible snores of Eren wafted through the room, the sounds floating down and disappearing into the wooden floorboards. Lost in his own thoughts, Armin had bent his knees up and wrapped his arms around his legs. Jean stole a couple glances at Mikasa, and he could've sworn the corporal shot him a glare one of those times.

It was getting too silent for him; he was getting antsy. The voice in his head was getting louder by the minute, and he needed to sort out his thoughts. In the smallest whisper he could manage, he struck up a conversation with Armin, "So… it's pretty safe to assume that Eren's summoning is cancelled, right?"

"Yeah," Armin whispered in return, his eyes drooping in weariness.

"But, that pales in comparison to all the other things that happened," Jean said, relieved that they haven't been hushed yet. There were a few things he needed to straighten out. Even when the words tumbled from his own lips he didn't believe them, "Annie really turned out to be that female type, going all titan-mode in the town, wrecking havoc, and turning herself into the Sleeping Beauty right after."

Corporal Rivaille let out a short breath, amused at Jean's rewording. Sleeping Beauty was an interesting label to put on a mass murderer and titan shifter.

Kirschtein broke through his thoughts with a slightly disbelieving tone, "And on top of that… There are colossal type titans inside the Wall, you say?"

"…Yeah," Armin replied. He didn't blame Jean for wanting to hear all of this again. It wasn't every day that people discovered titans hidden inside humanity's stronghold. But… why were they there? And when did they get there? As soon as he spotted the titan in the barrier, a thousand scenarios and possibilities blossomed in his mind like a tangle of weeds. One of them stood out to him at the moment and bubbled out of his mouth, "And I think they're going to take a walk soon… All at once…"

Beside him, Jean broke out into nervous laughter. He suddenly felt a weight on his head, realizing that Jean was ruffling his mop of hair. Jean teased, "Armin, you just made a joke, huh? You silly kid! Come on, boy—"

"—Jean."

Both boys turned to Mikasa right before she whispered, "Not so loud."

A bright red blush spread across Jean's cheeks in embarrassment. Covering his mouth with a hand, he stuttered out, "Ah, yeah, forgot. S-Sorry."

Corporal Rivaille gave him a look of pure annoyance and blandly asked, "Are you always this loud when people are sleeping? Annoying."

Jean's eyes widened before he furrowed his brows. He defended himself against most people, but not the corporal. He just settled for keeping his hand over his mouth and glaring back.

Armin broke the tension before it could get too thick. "You know, about the Wall… I never could determine how it was built in the first place. There are no brick joints or traces of peeling or other things like that." He paused, molding the idea in his mind before introducing it for show, "I wonder if it was made by using the titans' hardening ability. It could have a lot of applications, just like with Annie crystallizing herself."

Corporal Rivaille gave him a piercing look. "Then what you're saying is…"

Armin looked up and nodded at him. "Yeah. That would mean… that we've always been protected from titans… by titans."

The squad leader looked up at the ceiling, seemingly pondering this over in his head. Mikasa pursed her lips, still keeping her gaze on Eren.

Jean was the only one to reply, "Is that a joke, too? 'Cause it sure ain't funny."

Suddenly the door swung open, and another soldier poked his head into the room. His glance went straight to Armin when he said, "Armin, come with me. Commander Irvin asks you to attend the meeting."

"Understood," Armin replied in his solid tone. He was quick to put on his shoes.

While he was doing so, the soldier saw Rivaille and stuttered out, "C-Corporal! I assume you're going to the meeting, as well?"

"After I go take a piss," the Lance Corporal replied lazily. Mikasa glared at him from her seat.

For some reason, Jean felt unwanted with just Mikasa watching over Eren.. Not looking forward to being the third wheel in the room, Jean spoke out, "W-Well. I think I'll be going to see Annie in her so-called chamber. Seems like I'm the last person to know about it anyway."

The man in the doorway looked at Mikasa when Jean and Armin filed out of the room. "Mikasa? I think you should go, too."

"No, I…" she trailed off when she felt the corporal's gaze on her, "I'd better stay here."

"I see," the soldier said. He said nothing more as he left Armin to close the door.

Before the blonde did so, he turned back to Mikasa and gave her a small wave. The blush that adorned her face just then spoke volumes. Armin was smart enough to avoid Corporal Rivaille's glare, though. He could already feel it digging into his skin.

* * *

After Armin and Jean left, Mikasa returned to watching over the boy in bed. Her gaze was hard as she stared at Eren's features, and her body sat rigid in her seat. It was only when he was asleep that she got to see the Eren she knew when they were kids. When he was sleeping, it was like nothing bothered him. That was what she wanted most for him, and she would always cherish the moments she was able to see him safe under the covers. Because even though he was recovering from damage, at least he was actually there.

But since there was still a threat not that far away from him, she couldn't idly sit by. Mikasa wanted Annie gone, not sleeping away in a coma. Eren needed to be protected from whatever was going on, and she would do everything she could to keep him safe. And this time for sure: she wasn't going to let Annie get away. Even if it cost Mikasa her life.

From beside her, Rivaille muttered while folding his arms, "Even when he's sleeping I still want to kick him."

"Watch it," Mikasa seethed, still on edge from her thoughts, "I still haven't forgiven you for that."

Rivaille rolled his eyes away and drawled, "The only thing I remember doing was saving his ass."

Mikasa gritted her teeth in annoyance. "There were other ways to go about that."

"Like what," the corporal shot back, "Make him promise that he'd never hurt anyone? Make him pledge his loyalty? Words wouldn't have made any difference in the Court's decisions. Actions speak louder than any pretty speech."

Mikasa turned her head away, not wanting to admit how right he was. If he hadn't beaten Eren to a pulp in front of the entire courtroom, they wouldn't have seen how vulnerable Eren was. They needed to see with their own eyes that he could be "tamed" in some way. She could tell they were getting nowhere even when Eren was practically begging them, desperately convincing them he was a human. Of course, she wasn't able to help matters. In fact, she just made it worse for her friend. With a sour expression, she realized that was the very first time Rivaille jumped in and saved her and Eren. If he hadn't done what he did, who knows where they would've ended up. She should've thanked the guy instead of imposing revenge on him.

But how did he know that would work? That move was such an outlandish and risky maneuver that she was sure he wouldn't get away with it. Well, at the time she _prayed_ that he wouldn't get away with it. _She _certainly wasn't letting him.

Despite all of this, Rivaille stood there before a bloody Jaeger like he knew exactly what he was doing. At the time, she just pinned it as his brash and pompous attitude. Looking back, it was almost if…

Mikasa's eyes sparked in realization. "You sound like you're talking from experience," she whispered.

Rivaille stilled with his gaze on her black tresses. Had he really said enough to lead her to that epiphany so quickly? It wasn't like he spilled his secrets, but yet she read him like a book. He had underestimated how insightful she was. Rivaille's bangs shifted as he turned to look back at Eren. Just the fact that she knew something that deep about him without her realizing it made him very uncomfortable. In a low voice, he retorted, "I'm not gonna speak about that."

"I didn't ask you to," Mikasa replied without missing a beat. She didn't want to admit how much his sentence stung her. It felt like a little prick to her chest.

The corporal's lidded eyes gleamed in the lantern's light. He had never shared his past with anyone; it was just too dark for him to talk about. There were things he did that no one like Mikasa should hear about. Besides, it would do things to the chemistry between them. The team chemistry, of course. "Good," he breathed.

Not now. He just wasn't ready. Maybe later; much, much later. But not now.

Unfolding his arms, Rivaille turned on his heel and started for the door. His damaged leg was taking the pressure a lot better than the past week. He suspected that it could be fully healed in the next three days or so. "We'll start mission reports the moment I get back. I don't care if it's midnight or four in the morning."

"Understood," Ackerman replied tersely before turning back to watch over her friend.

She was still angry, he mused. Her posture was ramrod straight, and her hands were clenched in her lap.

It wasn't good for anyone to hold a grudge so tightly. From his experience, instead of squeezing your grudges, you hold them in your palm. There was no need to hurt your own body while holding a grudge; you're only letting it win over you. The best thing to do was hold it in front of you and, when the time came to let it out, run it through with a dagger.

And as a leader, he needed to make sure his teammates did the same. Midway to the door, Rivaille turned and called, "Ackerman." Her shoulders tensed before she turned to look at him.

"Your anger is understandable," he said pointedly, "But unacceptable."

"As long as she's still alive it will always be acceptable," Mikasa replied, her voice unwavering.

Rivaille cast his gaze to the far wall before he decided, "Then I'll kill her."

Mikasa's eyes widened in surprise. She wasn't expecting that. Wasn't she just being scolded? Rivaille never failed to keep her on her toes, but she couldn't decide whether she invited that or not. Reining in her relief that the corporal was on her side, she retorted, "I can do it myself." Mikasa then turned back to Eren's sleeping form before Rivaille could shoot her a scathing glare.

He should've known it wouldn't be easy to get his point across. Trying one last time, he said, "Just don't rush in. The best kills are the ones you've been waiting for."

Mikasa said nothing as he ended his statement. The room was silent except for even breathing and soft snores.

So she really was determined to do things herself. The corporal gave up on glaring at her and made it all the way to the door. With his hand on the knob, Rivaille glanced back at her over his shoulder. Her eyes roamed over Eren, almost if she was making sure he was still in one piece. Something akin to a small fire burned in his chest, and his lidded eyes flashed a look before he closed the door.

* * *

A blurry figure slowly sank into a shape before it finally molded into its full form. The light in the room was dim, outlining the dark shadow in an orange glow. Eren blinked once, twice to snap his vision into focus as he slowly crawled out of his deep sleep. He realized it was Mikasa leaning over him, and her expression lightened when he wedged his eyes fully open. His voice came out raspy when he croaked, "Mikasa…"

"Eren," she replied with a breath, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," he whispered, still struggling to get his voice back. Turning his head to the lantern on the bedside table, Eren watched the fire burning on the wick. His gaze lingered on the flickering light before he closed his eyes. "What happened," he asked.

"Annie was able to get away," Mikasa responded rigidly, "Do you remember?"

Eren shook his head, feeling a headache surface. He squinted and put a hand up to this forehead, berating himself for staring at the light too long. Pieces of the mission came to his mind, but everything was so jumbled he couldn't decipher what came before what. His head always got so buzzed after he titan-shifted for too long.

The young woman noticed his distress immediately and grabbed a towel from the nightstand. Soaking it in the bowl of water sitting by the lantern, she wringed it out and placed it on Eren's head. She furrowed her brows when he let her do it for him. It was strange how he just stilled when she placed it on his sweaty brow. She was caught off guard; he never let her baby him so easily. Was he that tired to allow her to nurse him? Not that she was complaining. "Do you at least remember her trying to get away? She managed to climb the Wall."

A fuzzy memory of Annie scaling towards the heavens resurfaced in Eren's mind, and he nodded.

"I was able to stop her, and she fell. You tore her out of her titan, but she was able to encase herself in a chamber before everyone could kill her. I should've done it sooner," Mikasa ended her statement with a brusque click of her teeth and pushed her hands into her lap.

Eren gently grabbed the towel from his head and looked at her. Her eyes were practically glaring through her pants and burning through the floor. In fact, he wouldn't have been surprised if he glanced at the floorboards and saw a burnt circle in the ground. What was going on? She had never been on edge for this long, which was really saying something about her hatred for Annie. Usually she was calm and in control of herself when he awoke from his recovery stages. Now that this secret tradition was broken, Eren had this strange feeling that something was missing. Without thinking, he sat up and nudged the damp towel onto Mikasa's forehead. In a stern voice laced with drowsiness, he said, "I think you need this more than I do."

Mikasa's eyes widened as a small bead of water slipped down between her eyes and veered off her nose. Lifting one of her arms, she took the towel from Eren and kept it on her face. "Oh," she whispered, and left it at that.

Eren nodded before swinging his legs off of the bed. There was a thin layer of sweat on his skin from being under the covers, chilling him under his pants when he left the warmth of the sheets. He could feel Mikasa's eyes on him as he stood up to stretch, and while he had one elbow bent by his head he asked, "Where is she now?"

Mikasa didn't need to know who _she _was. "Downstairs in the dungeon," she answered tightly.

The boy furrowed his brows, wondering if keeping Annie so close was a good idea. He kept loosening his muscles, working the blood through his veins. "You said she made a chamber around herself?"

After putting the towel down and wiping her damp forehead, the young woman said, "Yeah. A chamber of hard crystal."

Jaeger stopped mid-stretch. "Can't we just break it?"

"No. Major Hanji and the others tried with everything we had, but we couldn't make a dent." Mikasa got up from her chair and felt her blood readjust to her standing position. She had been sitting for so long the muscles in her backside felt numb. Looking straight at Eren, she said, "I wanted to go see her with you when you woke up. Maybe you can figure out how to get her out once you see her."

Eren wasn't sure what she was talking about. How was he supposed to know the first thing about a flash-crystal chamber? He didn't even know how to crystallize his own titan skin. "How do you expect me to help?"

"I don't know," Mikasa said as she adjusted the scarf he gave her all those years ago. She turned and started walking towards the door. "Use your titan instincts or something."

Maybe it was just him, but was that _sass _he heard in her tone? She was never one to fluctuate her voice in any way, unless it was a growl or downright roar coming out of her mouth. Even when she blamed Sasha for farting during their trainee days she didn't change her voice. Hearing this one change caught him off guard and forced him to figure out where it came from. Through all his doubt, the first thought that came to his mind when she said that was the Lance Corporal himself. It was like Rivaille's voice floated under her words, and their voices mingled with each other for that split second.

Eren blinked before snapping back to reality. When he came to, Mikasa was already holding the door open for him and staring him down. Was she actually being impatient with him?

Again with the similarities.

The boy slightly scowled before putting on his shoes and leaving the room. Mikasa shut the door behind him and led him down the long corridors and to the staircase that descended into the dungeon.

For awhile, she didn't say another word. The only sounds surrounding them were the clicks of their boots and the flickering fires on the walls. Usually, the silence between them was a lazy cat, just like the ones he used to chase around Shinganshina. He didn't focus on anything in particular, and Mikasa didn't need to worry about anything happening at that moment. They were just there, living and breathing in the small moments of life and how it should be.

But this silence felt like a tiger on the hunt, crouching low in the shadows waiting to pounce on them. Both of them were on edge, undoubtedly for different reasons. Eren could guess immediately that she was still furious that Annie wasn't dead. He practically felt her rage permeating the atmosphere, seeping into the walls and fueling the fires in their sconces.

He was certainly on edge because of her, and not just because she looked as bloodthirsty as he did. Mikasa was starting to imitate Corporal Rivaille and he didn't know how to feel about that. Which was surprising, since he usually didn't care what Mikasa was up to.

But that was because she was _never_ up to something other than his business.

Was he being protective? Or was it something else?

The two of them were nearing the stairs, and still Mikasa didn't utter a sound. Eren turned his head slightly, watching the shadows dance on her features. Seeing her still wear the scarf made something twitch in him, but he didn't know what it was.

Finally blurting _something_ out to destroy the silence, Eren proclaimed, "I'll find a way to get her out."

Mikasa's head snapped to him and her eyes shone brighter already. To his surprise, she put a hand on his arm. Her voice was a whisper when she said, "I know."

Eren subtly puffed his chest in determination and gave her a crisp nod. Softening his features, he breathed, "Mikasa… I—"

Something suddenly crashed into Eren right when he stepped in front of the staircase, and Mikasa swerved her head to the two boys on the ground. "Eren!"

As the two tried to untangle themselves, Jaeger got a glimpse of who barreled into him. With brows furrowed, he shouted, "What the—! Get off, Jean!"

Something immediately felt off. Mikasa noticed this when Jean didn't even struggle for a proper retort. His eyes looked like he just saw a ghost and his hands were shaking as he grabbed Eren by the collar. Shouting desperately, he said, "Get out of my way, Jaeger! It's a fucking emergency!"

Mikasa's eyes widened slightly.

The only thing down there was the dungeon, and the only thing in the dungeon was— "Jean," she said as slowly as she could manage, "What are you talking about."

Jean didn't even realize that she was there until then, and his expression downgraded into a look of pure terror. His mouth hung open when he stuttered out, "Mikasa… I… A-Annie is…"

Mikasa didn't even let him finish. She bolted down the stairs and took them two at a time.

Eren's eyes went wide before he tore off Jean's hand from his shirt. He screamed after his friend, "Mikasa, wait!" Following her lead, Eren rushed down the flight of steps, ignoring everything Jean called back at him. There was a sunken feeling in his stomach, and at that moment he wondered if Mikasa felt it, too. The steps were as damp as the walls as he skittered down towards the dank basement. When he got to the bottom, he leaped over the last four steps and landed with a dusty thud on the ground. Looking up, he gasped at what he saw.

There were guards strewn all over the ground. Lifeless forms and faces scattered throughout the dungeon, and blood painted the floors and the walls red. Everything was trashed, and there were broken tiles in the floor and clips of blades wedged in the stones. It looked like someone destroyed the entire place with a sledgehammer.

In the center of the room, there was a huge crystal chamber almost as tall as the ceiling. There were planks of wood holding it up from the bottom, and from the dangling chains on the ceiling it was chained in place.

But something was horribly wrong.

It was broken.

And Annie was gone.

* * *

A thousand scenarios raced through Mikasa's mind as she looked upon the damaged crystal. Did she wake up and get herself out? Did someone else do it? How did it happen? _When _did it happen?

From behind her, she heard Eren scream, "Where the hell is Annie?"

All Mikasa could do was stand before the broken gemstone like a statue, her pupils shaking endlessly. Eren was trying to find someone on the ground that was still alive, but no one was responding. Completely ignoring the dead bodies around her, Ackerman clenched her hands in frustration. Her body was on fire. She wanted nothing more in the world than to have her blades tucked in her hands at the moment. Didn't she just say that she wasn't going to let Annie get away this time? Was she going to blame herself for this time, too?

A hand on her shoulder actually made her flinch, and she turned to see Eren by her side. The look on his face was stern, and he gripped her shoulder tightly before letting go. His hand then went to hers and pried her whole hand open. She didn't even realize how hard she'd been clenching her hands; there were marks in her palm.

Eren's voice was a rough whisper, "Get a hold of yourself! Getting that angry is _my _job."

Mikasa's eyebrows softened in embarrassment at his words, but she quickly pressed them down again and snatched her hand away. "I'm fine," she hissed, before sucking in a breath.

Eren's look was incredulous when he stared back at her. In that moment, their roles were completely reversed. She was always the one to calm him down, and he would always be the one to push her away. Was this what it felt like for her every time? Because he felt useless and unwanted at the same time, and he noticed that it was a pretty shitty feeling.

Suddenly, there were two pairs of footsteps descending down the stairs, and Eren spotted two other former trainees. Calling out to them, he shouted, "Reiner! Bertholdt! Did you guys see what happened?"

The two of them spotted Jaeger immediately and ran towards him, avoiding the lifeless lumps and their cloaks on the floor. Both of them already had their gear on and their blades.

Reiner was the first one to speak up when he explained, "No, we didn't. We ran into Jean on the ground floor. He's warning everyone in the castle before heading to where Commander Irvin is." After he spoke, the burly teen swerved his head towards the broken chamber. He sheathed both weapons before stepping up to inspect it.

Bertholdt furrowed his brows before following Reiner's lead, and when he left their side, Mikasa watched him. Both of the guys inspected the crystal thoroughly, which felt a little strange to the young woman. Maybe it was just out of curiosity. But what if it was something else? Why would these two be so interested over something like this? With cautious steps, she walked up behind them to look over the chamber as well.

From behind them, Eren asked, "Reiner, you said Jean was going to warn Commander Irvin? Why isn't he here in the castle?"

The brawny man turned his head and nodded. "The commander is in a meeting at the moment. Jean said he'd leave when everyone was ready. He sent the two of us to get you two, and we're going to ride the horses to the Stohess district."

Mikasa looked at him and derailed the conversation a bit harshly, "Do you know anything about this material?"

Reiner shook his head. "I don't. I can't tell if it's broken from the inside or out."

"Why would it be broken from the inside," Mikasa bit out in frustration, "We couldn't break through no matter what we did."

Bertholdt gave Reiner a desperate look before turning away, and Mikasa couldn't help but pin them as suspicious. There was something wrong about this whole situation. They definitely seemed more on edge than they should've been. She had seen those looks on their faces before, when Dr. Jaeger wouldn't tell Carla what he'd been hiding. It happened enough in that household for her to recognize that expression.

Reiner just glared at Bertholdt before giving her a serious look. "I didn't know you tried to break through. We were sent somewhere else for the mission."

Mikasa's eyes narrowed into slits, but he was telling the truth. Commander Irvin only wanted her and a few other trainees on the mission while the rest were sent away. They were allowed to come back right when the Scouting Legion did, so Reiner and Bertholdt wouldn't have known anything about what happened. Still… something just didn't feel right. "Where are the others," Mikasa asked, not letting go of her assumptions. She needed solid evidence against them first.

Bertholdt was the one to answer this time. "They haven't gotten back yet. Commander Irvin ordered us to come back in twos, and Reiner and I were the first ones. Sasha and Connie come back tomorrow, and Ymir and Krista come back in two days."

Mikasa thought that sounded a bit weird, but Irvin did things in his own way. She wouldn't put this past him. She just nodded before glaring at the crystal before her. Reiner was right; she couldn't tell whether the crystal was destroyed from the inside or the outside. They needed Hanji right away if they hoped to get any clues.

Bertholdt broke through her thoughts, "Let's go, Mikasa. Eren's already gone."

Ackerman turned her head around; Eren was already trampling up the steps. She grunted in frustration before breaking into a run. She leaped over fallen comrades, wishing she could give these two a good punch just in case they had something to do with this. Reiner and Bertholdt stayed right on her heels all the way to the stables. It took all of her self control to keep from glancing back at them suspiciously.

When they got there, Jean already had all the horses ready. Some of them were getting skittish, so the poor boy had to keep them all calm at the same time. As soon as he saw the rest of the gang running towards him, he huffed out, "Took you guys long enough!"

The horse nickered as the rest of the soldiers adjusted their cloaks and found their horses. Darkness crept across the sky, looming over the castle stronghold. The wind was picking up, whipping the trees in different angles and blew the soldiers' cloaks behind them. As they got on their horses, Eren shouted to no one in particular, "What if she's waiting for us in the forest?"

Jean glanced back at him and retorted, "Shut up, Jaeger! That's what our gear is for!" He turned around and hunched his shoulders without realizing it. From behind him, everyone could tell he was shaking in his pants already. Putting on a strong façade, Kirschtein reached behind his head and pulled his hood up. Addressing the group, he ordered, "Just in case… Do the same. She's after Eren. She won't be able to tell who we are if we all look the same."

Reiner, being the only one who knew this plan already, gave Jean an approving smirk. He was the first one to follow, and Bertholdt looked at him before flipping his own hood up. Mikasa and Eren followed suit, and five hooded riders stood against the moonlight.

Eren furrowed his brows under his hood while he gripped his reins, "You alright with leading us, Jean?"

The man in the front of the line slowly blinked before turning his head around again. This time, his expression was so poised and resolute under his hood that even Mikasa was amused. His eyes were lowered, but you could tell he was determined and unwavering. "Yeah," he whispered without hesitation, "Let's go."

The five riders raced into the trees, the thundering of hooves echoing into the night.

* * *

Rivaille hated meetings with a passion. He had never liked the idea of them, even back in his underground days. There were way too many people clumped together like nasty sardines, arguing over topics he simply didn't care about. From behind Irvin, Rivaille could tell that Hanji was doing math in her head to pass the time. Despite her serious face, she rarely focused on the actual conversations unless she viewed them in an interesting light. Her hard expression was more from her concentrating on adding doubles or squaring numbers. Or going through the plethora of notes she kept on titan experiments—there really wasn't a clear way to tell.

Right beside Hanji stood Armin, listening to the whole meeting as if his life depended on it. It was almost comical, with both of them having the same expression but focusing on two different things entirely. Contrary to popular belief, Rivaille actually liked Armin. He wasn't stupid. What he lacked in combat, he compensated with intelligence. Strategy was half the battle: a lesson he learned from Irvin himself. The other reason he liked him didn't strike him until he figured out that the kid was just as ruthless as the rest of them. He didn't look it, but the kid was willing to sacrifice everything to win—a willpower not found in many kids his age. That's what the Scouting Legion needed more of, and what the corporal was trying to find in potential teammates.

Alas, at least the two of them had something to do. Rivaille could care less about doing mathematics in his head or listening to these men bicker like old ladies. He usually just adjusted his cravat or watched Irvin's eyebrows move up and down.

This meeting was basically pointless. Rivaille could tell the Military Police was only butthurt because the Scouting Legion didn't ask them for help. And why? Because they would've screwed it up and the whole thing would've turned out much worse, that's why. Sure, there was major damage to the city, but wasn't that better than having a titan actually escape? Therefore giving it a second chance to come back?

And besides, from what Mikasa relayed to him earlier, a lot of people were killed on the mission. More Scouting Legion people than Military Policemen. They were doing them a favor, weren't they? That's what Rivaille hated so much about these people. They were all talk and no walk. They were mad when they weren't involved, but everyone knows they all enlisted in the Military Police to save their own asses. Everyone knows they just want to help out when it's convenient.

That was the biggest difference between them and the Scouting Legion, and the number one reason why Irvin refuses to work with them. They don't have the sense of urgency, the will to fight back. Even the Garrison doesn't really have what it takes to fully fight for humanity. The siege of Wall Maria was enough to show for that.

But it was all pointless to Rivaille. He just grew up with the mindset of killed or be killed. Be the hunter, never the prey. That lifestyle just came so naturally to him that it helped him excel when he was enlisted into the Scouting Legion in the first place.

The District Chief's gruff voice sliced through Rivaille's thoughts when he asked, "…But do you have proof that your actions really prevented humanity's demise? You couldn't get any information out of Annie Leonhardt, correct?"

The Lance Corporal narrowed his eyes. They shouldn't be the ones talking if they haven't even been outside the walls. It was hard enough to capture a regular titan. Titan-shifters were a whole other class entirely.

Irvin never even flinched. "At present, she remains detained in our custody deep underground. Since her whole body is covered with particularly hard crystal, it is impossible to question her for information."

Classic Irvin: dressing up his words for the common folk. He really should've been a poet. If Rivaille had been the one talking, he probably would've just said something along the lines of, "No, bitch. She's encased in a fucking crystal. Why don't _you_ talk to her and tell me what she says?"

Good thing he wasn't the Commander, right?

Despite the fancy wording, the Chief wasn't amused. "In other words," he snorted, "All in vain?"

Irvin was quick to retaliate, "No, I do not think so. From my perspective, the very fact that we succeeded in capturing one of _them_ is valuable enough."

"Yes…"

"Because that proves beyond doubt that there are people like her among us," Irvin said, finishing his sentence with an air of finality. "Let us track them all down and corner them. All the enemies that are hiding inside these walls. _Every single one of them_—"

In a flash, the door to the room burst open. A soldier's head popped through the door and hollered, "Commander Irvin! Bad news!"

Rivaille and Irvin didn't say a word as Hanji addressed the man, "Touma…"

Touma didn't even have time to open the door before a mass of kids shoved him out of the way. Eren burst through first and shouted, "Commander Irvin! Annie is gone!"

Armin took a step back in surprise while Hanji hung her mouth open. Irvin slowly rose from his chair, an indiscernible look in his eye. Around him, the council and the policemen were causing a ruckus. Shouts flew through the air and banged into accusations. Arguments and nasty words sprung out of nowhere and piled on top of the Scouting Legion soldiers like heavy snow.

Well, this _was_ bad news. It was no surprise they were getting all the blame for it. It also didn't help that Irvin _just _said that Annie was being detained in their custody.

Rivaille scanned the rest of the young kids. Jean was behind Eren, looking like he was scared but he didn't even know what of. And then in the back were two guys with Mikasa. Immediately, he exchanged a glance with her. The look in her eyes unsettled him, and he knew this wasn't some prank. He started to walk forward when Irvin's commanding voice cut through the air, "There is no way she could have gotten out by herself." Turning to the burly man at the other end of the table, Irvin said, "My apologies, District Chief, but there are matters to attend to."

"Wait one minute, Irvin. You can't just leave now," the man gruffly replied.

Rivaille just stood there bored as Irvin put his superior face on. He knew exactly what was coming next. It was completely unnecessary given the circumstances, but he was going to do it anyway. In a voice that washed over the room, Commander Irvin started, "District Chief, this does not concern you in any way. However, it will have _everything_ to do with you if you do not let us go. There is an enemy roaming the streets, unguarded, and there might even be more if she had an accomplice. All I am asking is for you to allow us to do what the Scouting Legion does, and let us detain her before it is too late," he paused and looked around the room. Eren and the others were breathing heavily, probably from climbing all those damn stairs, but they were silent apart from that. The rest of the people in the room were too scared to interrupt. Seeing that he had everyone's attention, Irvin flashed his verbal trump card, "In other words, I am entrusting this decision to you whether we go or not. The fate of humanity rests in your hands, Chief."

The man sneered, realizing he ran into a trap. Rivaille snorted at his poor effort to mask his anger. "Just kill her, Irvin," the old man said with a snuff, "She's done enough damage as it is."

"Not possible," the commander continued, "We still haven't collected enough data."

Hanji added on to his words, "I have already come up with a way to detain her fully, even if she was encased in crystal. We can—"

"—What is _wrong_ with you people!" The Chief's chair clattered on the floor as he shot out of it. "It's like you don't even care what happens to the human race! Just get out of my courthouse. I don't want anything to do with this!"

Irvin bowed slightly as the rest of the chatter rose to the ceiling again, deafening Rivaille's ears. These men were even louder than the drunkards at underground bars. And was that _spit_ that just hit his cheek? Wiping the nasty liquid with a handkerchief, Rivaille turned to Irvin and said rigidly, "I might just strangle someone if we don't leave."

"We're leaving," Irvin answered before walking to the door as if a cacophony of disdain wasn't prancing around him. Looking towards a soldier by the door, he ordered, "Ready the horses."

Armin ran straight to Eren and the others as they filed out the door. Grabbing Eren by the sleeve, he asked, "Eren, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Armin," the boy replied as he turned to him, "Nothing happened to me."

Rivaille went straight for Mikasa, ignoring the other conversations. She turned to him just as he caught up with her. "When did this happen," he asked lazily.

Mikasa looked away, and he could tell she was trying her damndest to keep her anger in check. "We don't know. Jean warned us right when Eren and I went to go see her."

"At least the brat is awake," the corporal said.

The young woman nodded, and the two of them said nothing else as the Scouting Legion soldiers made it down to the horses.

* * *

Mikasa silently got onto her steed as Commander Irvin talked silently with Rivaille and Hanji at the front of the line. It looked like the three of them were in the middle of a fierce conversation. Which looked out of place, considering how platonic they were together. From behind her, Jean, Eren, and Armin were brainstorming, coming up with scenarios as to how Annie got out. Armin was sure she had outside help, backing his assumptions up in various ways. Jean and Eren weren't so dead set on it, but seemed to agree with everything the blonde was saying. On the other side of her, Reiner and Bertholdt looked to be in a conversation of their own.

When Mikasa was about to strain her ears to listen to them, Irvin's voice broke through the crowd, "Since we are on very short notice, Rivaille and I have come to an agreement. Eren, Armin, Jean, Reiner, Bertholdt; all of you will join with Mikasa to form the new Special Ops Squad under Rivaille's command. There's not enough time to form a proper team, so you guys are it." He turned to his other squad leader, "When we get back to Headquarters, Hanji, you will inspect the crystal and collect as much information as possible."

"Right."

"Rivaille, your squad will leave first thing in the morning into Wall Maria, and I will join you as soon as the rest of the soldiers are ready. Your job is to track down the female type and capture her at all costs."

"Understood."

"Eren, you're going to be the bait, just like last time. Even though you're under Rivaille's command, whether you shift or not is always your choice."

"Yes, sir!"

"The rest of you: your job is to protect Eren while finding a way to capture Annie Leonhardt. We can't let Eren be captured, but we must not let the female type go. I advise that you approach with extreme caution. Be victorious."

Mikasa saluted just like everyone else, and a flurry of horses stormed back to Headquarters.

_This is it,_ Mikasa whispered in her head as her horse trampled flowers and weeds and dirt, _This time for sure…_

There wasn't going to be a next time after this. She was going to exterminate Annie once and for all.

In the morning, they were going back into Wall Maria.

The hunt had just begun.

* * *

To be continued...

* * *

Note: Can you imagine if I stopped it at "_And Annie was gone."_? That would've been the meanest cliffhanger ever! Hahahaha.

Note 2: The Easter Egg game is back on! I'd rather give the sneak peek to people who want to read it, so if you get the Easter Egg, you'll get a sneak peek!

Note 3: EASTER EGG: When Mikasa touched the crystal for the first time, how did she describe it? This one's pretty easy but I couldn't think of anything else!


	8. Crimson Fury

Disclaimer: I do not own _Shingeki no Kyojin._

* * *

Crimson Fury

* * *

Mikasa peeked out from under her hood as the Scouting Legion stronghold came into view. The moon still hung high in the sky, and the strings of clouds glided by like lost souls.

The ride back from Stohess seemed to take a lot longer than the ride there. Whether it was because she was excited or not, Mikasa was getting a little impatient. She was going to get what she wanted, and that was a second chance to take Annie down.

She swung her head to look at Eren a couple yards ahead of her. His lean frame stayed parallel to his horse as they zipped through the woods. Even though she couldn't see his face through his hood, Mikasa knew he was lost in thought. Still conflicted, she mused. That didn't settle well with her at all.

Mikasa tore her eyes away from him and instead focused on the man behind her. Without even looking back she knew he was eyeing her. That small nagging feeling that he was looking in her direction wouldn't leave her, and she would've turned to glare at him if they didn't make it to their destination just then.

Irvin's horse at the head of formation skidded to a stop, and he wasted no time in dismounting. Mikasa and the others followed suit as Scouting Legion members crowded their Commander with urgent news and questions. The place was in a riot, with some people still trying to get their straps on and others blatantly avoiding the woods in fear of Annie.

Mikasa watched the uproar with an apathetic gaze as Rivaille dismounted behind her. She heard his footsteps coming up to her, but instead of stopping beside her he walked straight for the castle entrance. Contrary to Irvin, no one dared to bother Rivaille on his way to the building. He shooed people away with just the look in his eyes.

From among the crowd surrounding him, Irvin called out to Mikasa and the other young soldiers, "Follow Rivaille to the briefing room. Don't keep him waiting."

Jean was the first to obey orders, followed by Reiner and Bertholdt. From behind them, Mikasa kept a steady pace while looking for Eren. When she couldn't find him in the midst of the others, she started to worry. Despite turning her heel to go search for him, Mikasa didn't get very far. Armin was there to grab her arm, and she whirled her head to face him. He whispered, "Hanji took him into the castle already. She said it was urgent."

Mikasa scowled a bit, but let Armin lead her back to headquarters.

The walls only magnified the worried conversations of the Legion members. On the way to the small room they used for meetings and briefings, Mikasa felt like she was walking through a tangled web of voices. People clambered up and down the staircases with their gear and some had their weapons ready in case they stumbled upon Annie. Things were getting a bit ridiculous; it only fueled Mikasa's hate for the blonde. Even now she was indirectly pissing her off.

The briefing room was on the first floor, so it didn't take them very long to reach it. It just felt longer than usual since they had to weave through pretty much everyone to get there. Mikasa and Armin were the last ones in the room, and they stood next to the door.

Rivaille was already standing at the blackboard; his arms folded and gaze impatient. He started the moment Armin closed the door behind him. In his brazen tone, he barked, "Listen up. We don't have all day." He turned around to face the board, letting his cloak swish around his frame.

With an offhand thought, Mikasa was surprised he didn't call them "brats" or "idiots." He didn't even use any of the slang he usually threw around.

Taking a piece of chalk, the corporal stenciled in a formation and tapped the board when he was done. "This is the formation we'll use as we enter Wall Maria. It's similar to the arrangement we used last time, but since it's just us some things are different." His eyes met Mikasa's soon after he finished his sentence, and they lingered there. In that moment, his gaze was so intense it felt like hot ice. She couldn't stop the sudden shivers creeping up her back, but she did her best to squash them. There was no reason for him to be singling her out now. It was only a waste of time. When he finally looked away, she went back to inspecting the board.

Weird. It was triangular in shape, but at the forefront of the formation there were two people instead of one. Behind each of those two people, two were in line with them, and one person remained in the center of the triangle.

A rough voice cut through the air, "Jean, you and Armin will be at the front of the formation. Reiner and Bert—"

"—Wait just a minute," Jean interrupted uneasily. He almost choked when the corporal shot him a glare. In a voice even more uneven than before, he asked, "You're not going to be at the front, Corporal?"

For a moment, Rivaille didn't say anything. Everyone in the room had their eyes on him, hanging on to what he was going to say. Mikasa tried to read the look in his face, but she couldn't decipher it for the life of her. He was such a difficult person to read and she hated it. Finally, he bit out, "You two have good instincts; use them."

For some reason, that sentence set alarm bells off in Mikasa's head. There was definitely something he wasn't telling, and from what she could tell it was a lot more than just his injury. What it was, she didn't know. But there was no doubt something was hidden behind those words of his. No insults were thrown? No snarky retorts? Things were starting to feel a bit off. Mikasa turned her head slightly to look at Armin beside her, and she saw him practically mirroring the look on her own face. His brows were slightly furrowed, a gesture he would use when attempting to solve a puzzle. If he had an answer after this meeting, she was going to get it out of him.

The rest of the plan was simple, yet complicated—complicated in that there were a lot of assumptions in the original layout of the plan. Was Annie alone? Was she helped? Was she kidnapped? When they couldn't even answer the very first question asked, it was hard to determine how to work things out.

Basically, they were going to intercept Annie at the Forest of Giant Trees, the same forest from the last mission. The reason for this was that Annie was severely drained, and she would need at least a couple nights to rest and regain her energy. Furthermore, according to the landscape of Wall Maria, that was the only place she could rest at without being harassed by titans.

Mikasa understood all of this. What she _couldn't_ understand was why the corporal was shooting her looks pretty much the entire time. At first, she thought it was because he usually looked at everyone to make sure they understood what he was saying. He was an experienced soldier; he knew whether someone understood orders with one glance. But it got to the point where she felt uneasy. It's not like she wasn't listening. So what was his deal? Surely he wasn't making sure she was paying attention; if that was the case she was going to be pissed.

After minutes of drawing lines and circles and x's on the board, Rivaille finally dropped his chalk in its container. Grabbing a cloth, he wiped his fingers while articulating, "That's it for now. I'll need to go over the rest of the plan with Irvin before I move on. That means you guys will need to be able to take on-the-spot orders in the morning. Understand?"

The soldiers repeated their affirmation in unison before Rivaille turned on his heel and walked out. As he passed each soldier, he didn't even turn his head. Only when he got to Mikasa did he shift his eyes in her direction. She didn't respond in kind, but she followed his back as he walked out the door and shut it behind him.

When Rivaille left, it was like a rush of silence clogged the room. No one said anything for a long time, and no one made a move to leave. As Mikasa stood there, she realized that maybe she wasn't the only one questioning the corporal's behavior. And when Jean spoke, her thoughts were confirmed,

"Hey… Is it just me or is the Corporal acting strange?"

Mikasa and Armin turned to him while Reiner answered, "He seemed all business to me. What are you saying?"

Armin murmured from his corner, pulling everyone's eyes toward him. "I see what you mean, Jean… Even his writing…" His eyes were glued to the chalkboard, and everyone followed his line of vision.

The chalk lines on the board weren't even straight, and the circles sometimes weren't even completed. Looking at the whole picture, it looked like a five-year-old tried to draw a bunch of stick figures and couldn't connect any of the limbs together. Honestly, it just looked sloppy.

If there was one thing about Rivaille, it was that he was _never_ sloppy.

Something was definitely wrong.

Mikasa furrowed her brows before speaking out, "Let's not worry about that now. We have bigger things to tend to." Not waiting another second, she went straight for the exit and left, not caring if anyone followed her out.

* * *

"Major Hanji… I don't think… I'm the right person for this…"

"Relax, Eren. Just try. You're the only hope we have right now."

Eren once again looked at his hand, focusing as hard as he could. He flexed every muscle that he had from his fingers to his forearm, and he squeezed so hard his right hand practically vibrated. Gritting his teeth, Eren shut his eyes and let a drawn-out grunt echo from his throat. Seconds passed by, but still nothing.

As hard as the boy tried, he couldn't get his skin to crystallize.

Right after Irvin and the rest of them arrived back at Headquarters, Eren didn't even have enough time to dismount before he felt a hand grab his cloak and yank him off his horse. Before he could yell out a cry for help, Hanji bent down to his ear and whispered for him to follow her into the castle. As she ushered him back to the building, he felt like a ragdoll bumping into people and tripping on some loose grass. The only thing he could compare himself to was a dog being dragged along by its enthusiastic owner.

Eren struggled his entire way through the castle and down the stairwells to the deepest part of the stronghold—under the basement. It wasn't that long ago that he descended those steps in a rush to see what the commotion was all about. When they got to the dank depths, Hanji hurriedly shoved Eren toward the broken crystal. Her words bumped into each other like impatient people in line when she exclaimed, "Eren, see if you can reproduce this material yourself. I know it's a long shot for you to crystallize but we don't have much time. I need to know what this material is made out of and I think I can get a lead if you can unleash your hardening abilities, too."

"But, Hanji—" Eren was pushed forward one more time before he could get a reply out, and he ended up right in front of the crumbled edifice. His eyes widened slowly as he finally laid eyes on it in earnest.

It was mesmerizing. Even with the blemishes and cracks, the gemstone held his gaze like a sword stuck in stone. His turquoise eyes reflected the dim light of the crystal, making them glimmer in the torchlight of the basement. How Annie was able to create this he had absolutely no idea. It was so farfetched of an ability that he couldn't even think of how he would go about doing it himself. It wasn't something concrete like turning titan—there were no specific instructions for hardening skin. It was either he knew how to do it or he didn't.

So when Hanji kept urging him to figure it out on the spot, he was getting frustrated. He tried everything she was instructing him to do, from shutting his eyes to squeezing his muscles to clenching his teeth. But to no avail.

The boy was doing everything with full force that he was panting by the end of it. Sweat beaded down his face and stung his eyes. He bent down to put his hands on his knees, feeling like he just ran for his life. After catching his breath, Eren looked up at Hanji under sweaty brown locks.

The look in his eye was so innocent and guilt-laden that the woman just gave him a rueful smile. "It's alright, Eren. Sorry for pushing you."

"No, it's not that," the boy coughed out before standing up straight. Looking down at his hands, Eren murmured, "I feel like I can do it, but I'm going about it the wrong way."

Hanji's ears perked up like a dog. "You mean you figured something out?"

The young man's gaze lingered on his hands a bit longer before looking back at the shattered, gleaming coffin. A moment passed before his eyes roamed the ground at the bits of broken gemstone. Bending his knees, Eren reached down and plucked a shard from the floor. Hanji watched as he observed the shimmering piece, switching it between his hands. Finally, Eren pocketed the crystal shard and held his arm out. As he stood still, the squad leader stalked around him and observed him like a hawk.

Instead of forcing his body rigid, Eren took long breaths. With each exhale, his muscles relaxed and his blood pressure lowered. His arm felt like deadweight when he was finally calm, and with one final inhale he closed his eyes. Focusing all of his energy on his fingers, Eren exhaled as slow as he could.

One at a time, memories of snow and crisp air and chilly breezes blew through his mind, freezing his senses and numbing his brain. In the blink of an eye, those memories shaped into cold, distant flashbacks: Mikasa tied up on the ground in that cold cabin; trudging through the blizzard during trainee camp. He didn't know where those visions were spawning from, but they all ended with a snap when he heard a voice—

"—Eren!"

The boy gasped as he was yanked out of the snowstorm of thoughts. For a split second, he forgot where he was.

Beside him, Hanji's voice was a babbling brook, "Tell me everything. What were you thinking about? What were you doing? This is big, Eren, don't you understand? We finally have something to study!"

What do we have to study? What do I understand? Just then, Eren's vision snapped to his hand and he let out a surprised gasp.

The tips of his fingers were encased in a layer of hard material, material similar to the crystal looming above him. He almost shook his hand to shake off the foreign substance, but Hanji gripped his forearm and shot him a look. Her glasses reflected the dim light as she scolded, "You are _not_ going to get rid of my sample! Now stay put while I write some things down."

"Y-Yes, ma'am," Eren blabbered out. His hand felt like a glove had been slipped on halfway and then left there, and it was bugging the hell out of him. But he took the interrogation process well, with Hanji asking easy questions and him being as detailed as he could.

When they were done, Hanji shut her book with one hand and stuffed it in her back pocket. "Annie was able to shed her hardened skin when she was done with it. Do you think you could try that?"

Eren nodded before holding his hand out in front of his face. It was amazing that he had the hardening ability as well. Even more amazing that he somehow knew how to do it. He waited to shed the crystal a little longer, wanting to perceive what he had done.

Wait. Something was in the crystal, laced through the rock. In a weak voice, Jaeger whispered, "Hanji… Look at this."

The squad leader cocked her head before extending her neck towards Eren's fingers. "What's wrong?"

"In the rock. Do you see something?"

Hanji adjusted her glasses before squinting her eyes. When she finally caught what Eren pointed out, she whipped out her book so fast Eren flinched. "Well done, Eren. I missed that before."

Eren didn't know what to say, so he just nodded. Of course, Hanji couldn't tell from the way she was bent over her journal. The boy scoffed at himself while he watched the squad leader's handwriting splatter onto the pages.

It was amazing to see her writing things down when he could barely read. Growing up, there was no need for him to learn how to read and write. All he wanted to do was join the Scouting Legion; when you were out there killing titans you weren't going to need a pencil and paper. His thoughts came back to Armin, who soaked up knowledge like a sponge. He really appreciated his friend's intelligence and drive to learn. Without him, he wouldn't have had a glimpse of the outside world.

His eyes dulled as he thought back to the days where Armin would read to him by the river. The water sparkled in the setting sun's rays as Mikasa dipped her toes in the shallow end. He could still remember how wonderful the parchment smelled and how vibrant the pictures looked. Things were so simple back then. When did everything change?

Hanji's sound of excitement kicked Eren back to the present, and the light came back into his eyes.

While she scribbled line after line of notes, the scientist explained, "If my hypothesis is right, it looks like your crystal has its own code etched throughout the framework. Kind of like how we have our own DNA, it seems as if your crystal is connected to your specific genes. Which amazes me, since you were seemingly given this ability… Maybe the substance you were in injected with…" Hanji trailed off as she turned around. Eren watched her with wide eyes as she paced a line into the floor, too confused to contribute to the conversation.

Suddenly, the squad leader stopped dead in her tracks. Twirling around, she marched right up to Eren and grabbed his forearm.

"What's going on," the boy asked quizzically as his arm was jerked forward. He leaned his head back at the exact same moment.

Hanji delicately traced the hinge in his arm, seemingly looking for something in particular. When she found it, she tapped his skin and looked up at him with gleaming goggle lenses.

"Come with me, Eren. I have an idea."

* * *

Mikasa shut the door to her room before letting out a lengthy breath. Things were getting a bit too hectic for her taste, and since she couldn't see Eren or Rivaille at the moment the young woman decided to take a break. Besides, there wasn't any reason to fuss over Annie when they weren't even going to leave yet. She had time to collect her thoughts and cool her head down, so she took it. It was a good thing, too, since Mikasa had a lot to mull over.

First was coming up with a solution to Annie's escape. It was unusual that she had even escaped in the first place. There were tons of guards around her chamber and she should've been weak and slowed down by her deep sleep. Was being fully charged after sleeping another titan ability? Hell if she knew. Mikasa couldn't wrap her head around it. Taking a strand of hair between her fingers, the woman made her way to the bed and settled into its plush. Just thinking about Annie made her head hurt, so she switched tracks and went to another topic.

Rivaille.

Why was he looking at her so much? Did she have something in her hair; were her clothes too wrinkly for him? In a moment of self-consciousness, Mikasa ran her fingers through her locks and patted her collar down. Stupid. She berated herself for letting him dig into her brain. Why _did_ her thoughts always come back to him? Sure, she was on his team now and yes, she did take care of him for a week.

More like babysat.

But it wasn't like she was developing feelings for him. She did admit that she liked him, but she meant that she liked him as a person. Right? He was interesting to talk to despite his bitter exterior and his bland humor. They shared quite a bit of stories when she ate dinner with him or wrapped his leg; it wasn't hard when both of them had nothing else to do. Sometimes, their fights would be the highlight of her day. It was the only time she allowed herself to let go and express her anger. If she was being honest, she enjoyed them quite a bit. He would jeer at her and she would fight back. She didn't care if he could beat her to the punch if she fought him; he never ordered her to stop. It was like their arguments were part of everyday life for them during that week. They had built their own definition of kinship, one that transcended mere acquaintance and camaraderie.

So why the hell did it feel so awkward to stand by him or meet his gaze?

Well, the kiss certainly had something to do with it. She would not stop thinking about it since then, and her dreams had been a lot more vivid and embarrassing the past few nights.

Her first kiss, stolen by her captain, her corporal.

Touching her lips, Mikasa inwardly sighed. Because that's what he'd always be. Corporal Rivaille, squad leader and captain. Maybe one day they'd both being squad leaders, working with each other on equal terms. They were on two separate tiers; just two people on the same team backing each other up. Nothing personal.

It was all business with him. Just when things looked like they were moving in a new direction, a direction that Mikasa was nervous about, he just… left. It's like she was anticipating the rush of adrenaline before the fight even began—and it turned out the fight never happened.

Things were too confusing. Maybe it was just better if she went back to being what everyone saw her as. Mikasa Ackerman: child prodigy, a woman worth a hundred soldiers, Rivaille's protégé, Eren and Armin's "bodyguard." They didn't have to know she actually had a soft side. They didn't have to know that she almost fell for someone above her rank. They didn't have to know… that she couldn't get her corporal off her mind.

He was the only one that comforted her when she broke down. He was the only one that never offered her sympathy nor asked what was wrong. He was the one that trained her to her limit and made her realize how much stronger she really was.

Mikasa finally found someone to confide in, someone to go to when she felt like she needed a slap in the face. Everyone else thought she was above them; everyone else thought she could spread her wings and fly.

And he was the only one that made her feel grounded.

The knock on the door actually made her jump just then, and she used all her willpower to sound apathetic. "Who's there?"

Rusty hinges squeaked when the door swung open, and none other than the corporal himself came in and shut it quietly. Mikasa tried to stop the flutters in her stomach but the hair on the back of her neck betrayed her. It was her fault for thinking about him so much beforehand. He was the last person she expected to see on the other side of her door. In a quiet voice, she whispered, "I thought you were meeting with Commander Irvin."

"I was," Rivaille replied as he sauntered over to a chair, "But he's a little busy at the moment."

Mikasa believed it, with all the chaos erupting right now. She wasn't even in her room for five minutes before she heard shouts echoing in the hall. "So you came here."

"Where else would I go," the corporal muttered, resting his elbows on his knees.

Emotion shot Mikasa down like a lightning strike. To think that Rivaille, the person who'd been either avoiding her or making her feel uncomfortable, would say such a thing made her feel things she wasn't used to. All her life, she'd been pushed away or too revered to feel wanted. Either Eren was telling her to not worry about him or she was left alone since she could take care of herself.

But now, she felt _wanted_. This is what she had been yearning for ever since her parents died on that fateful day. She always felt wanted by her mother and father; they never made her doubt that for a second. The only reason she was "wanted" by those thugs was so that they could sell her off for God knows what. The only reason she was adopted by the Jaegers was because she had nowhere else to go, not because they wanted a little girl to keep. The only reason she was "wanted" by the Scouting Legion was that everyone thought she was a prodigy.

This was something entirely different. No one just came into her room and told them they wouldn't be anywhere else.

And what hit her even harder was that she felt _needed_. Rivaille wasn't the type of person to voice his emotions to anyone or admit his shortcomings. He was the type of person to always keep to themselves when they needed a place to go. But he was here, with her and no one else.

Mikasa was starting to rethink that kiss.

"Ackerman."

The young woman snapped her head up to impatient eyes looking at her. "Sorry," she breathed as she felt her cheeks warming, "I didn't hear you."

Rivaille scowled before he ordered, "Quit daydreaming. You look dead when you do."

"I hope you didn't come here just to tell me that."

"No, I didn't." Sitting upright and throwing his elbow across the back of his chair, Rivaille admitted, "I came here to tell you that you might be going on this mission without me."

"Wait, wh—"

"—Let me finish. Geez. I just don't think I'll be able to heal in time, so I'm going to need someone to take my place. Hanji can't do it since she has to take care of that 'titans in the wall' shit, and Mike can't take my place since he has his own squad to take care of now."

Mikasa knew immediately where this was going, and she didn't like it in the slightest. Before Rivaille could continue his explanation, she stopped him with a hurried, "I don't like the sound of that."

"This is an order, Ackerman. I can't do anything about it. You're taking my place, so don't screw it up."

There were so many words bubbling up in Mikasa's throat that they clogged it up. There were so many questions that she wanted to ask, but she couldn't pull a single sentence out of her mouth.

He was supposed to be coming with them. They need him more than ever right now. She struggled to say what she wanted but she was afraid that it would come out more emotional than she'd liked. God forbid she gave him the wrong idea. But how could he say something like that at a time like this? Who was going to be there when she lost control again?

Suddenly, Mikasa realized something. He was trusting in her. Rivaille was putting things into her hands, something that took a lot of courage since she screwed up the last couple times. He certainly wasn't going to say it directly, but Rivaille's voice was full of confidence. Still, she had to voice her thoughts, "I can't. You saw what I did last time."

Rivaille looked her dead in the eye with his icy orbs. His silky rough voice chilled her when he replied, "No, I didn't. I wish I did." He leaned his head forward, his bangs shifting in front of his eyes. "You brought Annie down even when Eren in his titan form couldn't. From the looks of things, you don't need me."

"Yes, I do," the young soldier blurted before she could stop herself. She didn't miss the small spark in the corporal's eyes, the small window to his thoughts. Shit. If she couldn't even keep her cool here she had no hope in the morning. Hurriedly, she corrected, "I mean: we do."

The man regarded her for a long moment. Mikasa felt bare under his gaze, wanting to know everything he was thinking about behind those eyes. She looked away at the lantern resting on her nightstand, watching the fire flicker in its wick.

"I'm sorry, Mikasa."

Ackerman sighed before giving him a look.

"I can't go with you."

A loud bang shot through the tension so fast that even Rivaille flinched. Both he and Mikasa snapped their heads towards the doorway to see a ravenous Hanji Zoe dragging a reluctant Eren Jaeger behind her.

In the creepiest voice Mikasa had ever heard, the mad scientist exclaimed, "I happen to have a solution to that, Rivaille. A solution you're _not_ going to refuse."

* * *

"Eh?!"

"I refuse!"

"I refuse."

Rivaille shot Mikasa a look when they voiced their rejections simultaneously, while Eren just blanched on the spot. _Rivaille_ certainly wasn't going along with Hanji's idea, but he didn't think Mikasa would be so against it, too. Maybe it was because her precious Eren was going to succumb to needles. How protective of her.

The corporal was grateful for Hanji's interruption, though. He needed something, anything to break the tension clouding the room. It caught him completely off guard when Mikasa looked so reluctant to hear his news. Honestly, he thought she would either not care about his absence or be thankful for it. She was the one that said she'd be better off when she didn't have to take care of him anymore, right? This was her chance and Rivaille was so sure she would take it.

But when he saw that look in her eyes, he didn't know what to say.

Maybe the pain from his leg was messing with his mind, or maybe those damn dreams were getting to him, but it looked like she didn't want him to leave her.

Well. That certainly complicated things. For one, he couldn't do anything about it. If he went with them on the mission, there was the risk of his leg getting even more injured. In turn, this would hinder their advancement and either result in them leaving him behind or having to wait on him. Both of which he hated the mere thought of. Rivaille didn't want a single soul dying because of his inability to fight. It was painful just watching the female type lay waste on the town, knowing full well that Mikasa was in the fray. She was fighting the biggest threat to the Scouting Legion and he was nowhere near being able to be there with her. They were a team now. He was supposed to be fighting alongside her, not playing some shitty bystander. He couldn't protect her like this—a thought that haunted him every night.

If he was ever responsible for her death, he would never forgive himself. Memories of the last mission flashed through his mind but he refused—absolutely refused—to think about that right now.

Besides, his concern wasn't just about her. There were other people—kids—going up against an unknown enemy and he was supposed to lead them with a mangled leg? No way. They need a leader they could trust. Those kids need someone strong; someone they think is incapable of being wounded. And that wasn't him, but Mikasa. Mikasa had enough strength to survive an apocalypse. If he was a storm she was a hurricane.

And here he was betting everything on her and she flat out refused.

"_From the looks of things, you don't need me." _

"_Yes, I do." _

He couldn't stop the look he gave her. His body reacted before he could hold himself back. When she uttered those words Rivaille glanced at her in earnest. It was as if everything that had been going on between them was more real than he thought.

At first, he was just messing with her. What else could he do when he was incapacitated and he had a pretty girl taking care of him? It was enjoyable when they verbally jousted. She was the one that made things easier for him, no matter how many times she made him want to choke her. Rivaille had been injured before, and if he was honest the last person that took care of him was boring as hell. She barely spoke and when she did it sounded as if she thought he would bite her head off. That never settled well with him; he felt like a jackass without even doing anything.

But Mikasa was different. She challenged him and didn't even care that he was injured. For Christ's sake, she knocked him on his _ass._ No one had ever dared to put him in his place, and to be honest it was a little refreshing.

But the tension was there. It was always there. He was acutely aware of it after the trial, and even more so when she reminded him that she never forgot what he did. That's when things started getting out of hand. He didn't need to rush into her room to save her from her nightmares. He didn't need to tell her that he'd teach her how to be selfish. He didn't need to shut her up by kissing her. Rivaille didn't know when the hell all of that started, but there was this primal need awakening in him. What started out as a seed grew into a vicious plant with roots, refusing to leave his thoughts. The arguments got more heated and the rope between them tightened little by little. The arguments, the tension; did he really think they were just temporary? Did he really think the rope between them would eventually snap?

No. They were just temporary. He needed to let go of the rope before it was too late.

"_I'm sorry, Mikasa." _

_The look she gave him almost made him change his mind. _

"_I can't go with you." _

What the hell was he going to say after that? If Hanji didn't burst into the room like it was Wall Maria how the heck was he supposed to excuse himself? He could've just walked out like he always did. Something pricked his chest when he thought about it. Everything sounded like a horrible move at that point, so Rivaille just ended up wishing for a miracle.

And he got Hanji Zoe and Eren Jaeger.

It turned out that the former had a plan to get him back on his feet by morning. Intriguing enough. She didn't need to pause dramatically after saying so, though. He gave her an impatient look and drawled, "Well, spit it out already."

"With pleasure," the squad leader chimed. Lifting Eren's arm up, she revealed a small gauze at the junction of his arm. Hanji's excited tone flew through the air as she spoke to Rivaille, "You see: Eren here can heal much quicker than normal humans, but we all knew that. I mean, the first time you knocked a tooth out of his mouth he was able to grow it out after the trial!"

Damn it, Hanji, not in front of Ackerman. Yup, there was the glare.

The squad leader didn't seem to care that she just threw him under the cart. She thought nothing of the glare Rivaille was getting shot with when she kept clucking, "I had to know the secret to this ability. At first, I thought it was because of his newfound titan power—something to do with his titan form being able to heal itself quickly. I thought, 'maybe it was because of the titan's genes mixing with his.' But how was that possible? It made more sense if he _already had_ those genes. But then how was _that_ possible? There's no proof that he had this ability from the start. There was something integral missing to the puzzle, and it took me until today to figure out just what that was! Right, Eren? We went down to the crystal chamber and found the last piece!"

Rivaille deadpanned. He felt like a little kid was forcing him to appreciate their artwork or something. Looking straight at Eren, he asked, "So you were a part of this, brat?"

The poor boy just gave him a desperate look. "No, I… I have no idea what she's talking about."

Hanji continued as if they didn't even interrupt her, "Hear me out. When I inspected Annie's crystal in the first place, I saw little strands running around the framework of the gemstone. I thought they were just the cracks and dents, but after seeing Eren's crystal everything's clear now—"

"—Wait just a second," Mikasa cut in. Swerving her head to Hanji's victim, she queried, "Eren, you made your own crystal?"

The boy nodded slowly in return. "Yeah. I don't know why, but somehow I knew what I needed to do to harden my skin. And I just… did it." Eren looked down at his free hand when he said that, and his eyes glazed over in thought.

"He did," Hanji piped up giddily, "And he was able to point out the strands in his rock, too. I missed them at first, but now everything is clear: each titan crystal has that specific titan's DNA encrypted into it. Which makes a lot of sense, since it's just the skin hardening itself. Even if a part of your skin falls off it still has your DNA in it."

Rivaille was getting pretty impatient at this point. All he wanted to do was have a nice cup of tea and go the fuck to sleep. No more child's play. "Hanji, this is getting ridiculous. We don't have time for your explanations; just spit it out already."

"Okay, okay." Disappointed, she lifted Eren's arm again and pointed to the gauze. Immediately switching from thrilled scientist to blunt doctor, she drawled, "I extracted some of Eren's blood and plan on injecting it into your leg."

…_What?_

"I refuse."

"I refuse!" Mikasa's arms were folded tightly to her chest, her brown jacket sleeves crinkling in the middle. Rivaille was just thankful that he wasn't the only one alienated by this plan. What the hell was Hanji thinking? It was at the top of the bullshit pyramid.

The corporal sighed before assuming a nonchalant position in his chair. Continuing his refusal, he bit out, "First of all, I'm not going through with this plan without any proof of it working."

Hanji's mouth dropped a little and she stuttered, "W-Well, I haven't ran any tests since we're on a time constraint, so—"

"—Exactly," the man scoffed. His eyebrows deepened. "I'm sorry, Hanji, but I won't do it."

"But, Rivaille, this is your chance. I found a way to get you out there."

"No, I refuse to take that brat's blood," Rivaille shot while extending a finger towards Eren, "It's tainted, is it not?"

"It's not tainted," Mikasa shot back at him, "Nothing's wrong with Eren."

"Except the fact that he can turn into a beast," the corporal bitterly reminded.

Great. Just when things were starting to work themselves out, they found themselves in yet another argument. When was this rift between them going to patch itself? Why was he even fussing over it when he wanted it this way? He was getting more frustrated and confused by the second, causing his voice to come out harsh, "I don't want that power, and if I catch it through this I'd rather stay behind."

Mikasa's face faltered slightly at his words and he regretted them immediately. Hanji only had good intentions, and he wasn't even congratulating her big discoveries. It was amazing that she was able to come up with a way out so soon and yet he was completely against it? It was unlike him to be so selfish at a time like this. He knows they need him on this mission and there was a way for him to do it.

_So why was he refusing so intensely? _

Rivaille didn't know why. Nothing made sense right now and that damn lump in his throat was making him choke. He was injured. He wasn't going to go out there.

"Rivaille."

The corporal snapped his head up to see Hanji leaning over him. When did she get there? Was he that distracted by his own thoughts to not notice her? Her eyes were wide when she whispered, "We're going to do this. You're going out there. They need you." Turning swiftly on her heel, the squad leader called Mikasa and Eren over, "You two, hold him down!"

Both of the younger soldiers looked uneasy, but Eren came running over and Mikasa followed suit. Rivaille cursed fiercely and threw his arms out, but Hanji pinned both of his arms down while Mikasa held his shoulders and Eren his legs. Rivaille attempted to kick Eren, but flashes of pain zoomed through his injury and he gasped. Mikasa's fingers dug into his shoulders the more he struggled. Angrily, he seethed, "Fuck you, Hanji. Fuck all of you!"

Hanji's eyes started to water as she held up a syringe. A few drops of clear liquid oozed out while she whispered, "Forgive us, Rivaille. We're just trying to help."

The corporal could only get a few colorful words out before he felt a prick in his neck. Slowly but surely, the room started to darken and his vision started to disperse. Voices melted into slurred speech and the hands on him seemed to float off his body. With one last speck of light, everything went dark.

* * *

"Do you think this was the right decision?"

"…No. I don't."

Mikasa felt sick.

Eren put a hand on the back of her chair as they observed Rivaille's sleeping form on her bed. They didn't want to carry him back to his own room, so Mikasa offered to give hers up.

After Hanji sedated the corporal, she took out the vile containing Eren's blood. Mikasa and Eren eyed it with disgust as the squad leader siphoned the crimson liquid into a clean syringe. Even though Hanji seemed gung ho with her plan, when she finally got to it there were tears in her eyes. Mikasa and Eren exchanged a glance, letting the woman have her moment. It looked as if she didn't want to go through with it any more than they did. No one doubted that behind that bubbly exterior of hers was a pure conscience. She probably had a better one than most people in the Scouting Legion.

It wasn't about her newfound discovery at all. It wasn't so that she could show off her scientific prowess. She knew Rivaille had to go out there because those kids weren't going to survive without him. And as much as she tried to take that as an insult, Mikasa agreed. Rivaille was the strongest out of all of them and he was the only one capable of leading them. Mikasa was strong, but she wasn't a leader. Armin even pointed this out to her a little over a week ago. Rivaille had put his trust in her, but even that wasn't enough to jar her out of her opinion.

The whole time Hanji injected Rivaille's leg and cleaned it up with gauze and wrappings, she never said a word. All of the excitement was erased from her stature and left a calm woman behind. It was like she was a completely different person. Eren and Mikasa stood there awkwardly as she worked, not knowing what to say or do to help her.

When she was done, Hanji stood up and turned to them. She couldn't hide the fact that she was upset, but she smiled at them and rambled, "According to my data, this should take effect within five to six hours. If that's the case, he'll be waking up with two healthy legs." Turning to the door, she said, "I'm going to head back down to the chamber now. Eren, meet me there in an hour, okay?"

The boy cocked his head up and affirmed, "Y-Yes."

Mikasa couldn't help but admire the older woman's self-control. She was obviously in some sort of mental torment, but anyone seeing her walk of that room wasn't going to be able to tell. They wouldn't have known that she just forced her teammate to take a titan shifter's blood cells.

The door closed with a small click, and the two kids just stood there in silence. The only other person in the room was knocked out on a chair. Mikasa turned towards him and scowled. "Eren, we should move him."

After observing the corporal, Eren agreed, "Okay." He made a move to lift him up before Mikasa stopped him,

"Wait. Take his cloak off first."

"Huh? You do it."

"Why me," Mikasa retorted before bending down and unfastening Rivaille's cloak. The smooth material was warm as it wrapped around her fingers. Folding it as neatly as she could, Mikasa set it down on her nightstand. Eren watched her smooth her hand over the stitched wings, wondering what she was thinking about. He didn't have time to mull over it, though. Mikasa quickly slipped her hands under Rivaille's armpits and motioned Eren to get his legs. Lifting him up, they scooted over and gingerly placed him on her bed.

Eren scratched his head while Mikasa took the chair and planted it next to her nightstand. The candle was slowly burning out, but both of them made no move to do something about it.

They watched over Rivaille for what seemed like the longest time. There wasn't much to say, so conversation wasn't helping the time go by faster. If anything it felt like they stayed like that the entire night. Mikasa knew that Eren didn't feel any less horrible than she did. Rivaille wasn't going to forgive them. They helped him, but against his own will.

After an hour finally passed, Eren put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I'm going to see Hanji now," he whispered, "Need anything?"

"I'm okay," Mikasa whispered in reply. The only thing she needed was sleep and a clear conscience. Eren left without another word, and she was left by herself.

Things weren't going to be pretty when Rivaille woke up. He was going to know that Eren's blood now ran through his veins. It was a scary thought for someone that hated the titans with a passion. If he ever had the titan ability, what was he going to do to himself?

After half an hour passed, Mikasa was out of thoughts to thing about. Good thing, too; she didn't want to think anymore. It was late and she was mentally exhausted. In the morning, she was only going to be focused on one thing only, so now was the time to relax…

"Mikasa?"

The young woman snapped her head up. Rivaille wasn't supposed to be awake yet. As Mikasa looked toward her bed, she saw the corporal's tired gaze watching her. Tiredness was laced through her own voice when she asked, "Corporal, what are you doing awake?"

The corporal said nothing, but just stared at her. His lidded eyes roamed her body, and for a second Mikasa didn't know what to do. Why was he even awake? It hadn't even been two hours yet.

"I told you to call me Rivaille," the man slurred. He slung an arm over his forehead and drawled, "I hate it when you call me that."

"You told me to call you that," Mikasa sharply reminded him. He wasn't about to put the blame on her. Besides, where the hell did that attitude of his come from? He was snarky, but he never revealed stuff like that to her. "Remember?"

"I didn't expect you to obey me so quickly." Rivaille planted both elbows by his sides and pushed his upper body off the bed. "You usually don't follow my orders."

"But you're my squad leader now. I had to." Why was she having to remind him of all this? He was sure forgetful when half-conscious.

But Rivaille leaned back on his palms and shook his head. "You should know that your orders are only suggestions. I only say them because I have to."

"…What?" Something was definitely off. The Rivaille she knew would never say something like that out loud. What was going on?

"You heard me. I'm not repeating myself," the corporal slurred again as he looked at the sheets around him. It was like he was seeing them for the first time. This was very bizarre. It was as if he wasn't himself—

Suddenly, a flashback came to Mikasa. It was of a time back at the Jaegers' house: Eren was acting strangely after Grisha gave him some type of ointment. The young Mikasa asked why Eren was acting weird, and the elderly man said something about "side-effects" of the medicine he gave. Was this the same thing? Was Rivaille suffering some type of "side-effect" from the injection?

When Mikasa came back to reality, she stared straight into icy orbs. Only this time, they looked like they were glazed over.

He was definitely not himself right now. He looked _drunk_.

"Corporal—"

"—_Rivaille_—"

"—You need to lie back down," Mikasa ended her statement with a clipped tone. She didn't need to deal with this right now. Especially since his lips were hovering… right above hers… Mikasa tried to lean back, but she felt a hand clasp the back of her head. She gasped, "Rivaille…"

"See," the man murmured. His grip on her hair was firm, but not forced. Leaning forward, his lips came up and ghosted over her nose. Mikasa shut her eyes tightly as he whispered, "That wasn't so hard."

This was wrong: he wasn't himself and she knew it. Rivaille deserved to know what had happened to him, whether Mikasa wanted to tell him or not. Gathering all the courage she could muster, Mikasa grasped his arm and pushed it away from her head. In a flash, Rivaille slipped out of her grip and pinned both of her arms to her sides. The sound of chair legs scraping stone echoed throughout the room.

"What's wrong, Mikasa," the corporal asked seductively, as if he wasn't the problem.

"You need to listen to me," the young woman whispered as her cheeks seared, "You've undergone a procedure. You aren't being yourself right now and you need to rest." It was embarrassing how shaky her voice came out. She was sure Rivaille wasn't going to believe her.

But he responded, confused, "Procedure? What procedure?" He lightened his grip on her wrists and stepped back. Subconsciously, he knew what it was and he was scared. He was injected with titan's blood; who wouldn't be? But Mikasa still needed to tell him. He needed to rest before he delayed the medicine's effects. It she was responsible for him she was going to do her job. Unlike last time when she let him walk all over her.

Slowly, she explained, "You were badly injured, and Hanji found a way for you to recover on time to go on the mission with us."

"Mission?" The corporal slowly straightened his spine and stood upright. Recognition seeped into his eyes just then, and Mikasa regretted telling him the moment he remembered. His voice was rougher than sandpaper when he lashed out, "You guys forced me to take Eren's blood, didn't you? You held me down and you sedated me and you injected me!"

Mikasa got out of her chair just in time for him to grab it and fling it across the room. Wood smashed into stone and pieces of the chair rocketed from the point of impact. She observed him with wide eyes, not knowing what to do at all. This Rivaille was so different from what she was used to. The real Rivaille was reserved and understanding, not a rampaging bull. "Rivaille, what the hell are you doing? Get yourself together," she ordered in a strong voice.

"What am I doing? What are _you_ doing? I just told you that I was putting the mission in your hands and you betrayed me," Rivaille snarled. He marched up to her until they stood millimeters apart. Even though she was taller than him by a few inches, she felt like he was a tower and she was a flea. "I trusted you. You're the one going out there; not me!"

She considered hitting him five hundred times already. If it knocked him out, even better. Things were getting so out of hand that she thought he was pulling pranks on her. But the emotion in his voice was too real for his actions to be fake.

The only question running through her mind was, _why? _ Why the hell was he acting this way? Why the hell was he so insistent that she went out there by herself? This wasn't like him at all. She tried her hardest to make her voice solid, "I'm not going to lead them. I can't even control myself and you know that."

"So you went against my wishes? Your own corporal's orders? I let you stay on my team. I let you have your way. Besides, wasn't your only goal in life to protect your precious Eren?"

Her emotional dam snapped. Seeing an opening, Mikasa thrust both of her hands out and pushed Rivaille backwards. While doing so, she yelled, "This isn't about Eren!"

The corporal looked shocked until she came at him. He hit an emotional nerve and he was paying for it. Everything fueled her body and she was practically flinging herself at him. Her punches were daggers, but Rivaille was able to block them all. This angered Mikasa to no end. He was medicated and she was sober. Another punch blocked. Kicks didn't work either. She growled in frustration as he grabbed her leg and sent her straight to the ground.

"Why the hell did you betray me, Mikasa," the man growled into her face.

She tried to slap him, but he pinned her arms yet again to the cold floor.

"Tell me_,_" Rivaille seethed, "_Now_—"

"—Because I'm _scared_, Rivaille!" Tears leaked out of her eyes before she could stop them. She couldn't protect so many people at once and she knew it. She couldn't even keep her promise to protect _one _person; how the _hell _was she going to manage five? Images of blood and loved ones on the floor blitzed through her mind, reminded her of her failures. All the emotions that were stirring in her stomach boiled over, and everything broke down. "I couldn't protect my parents," she choked out. She couldn't look Rivaille in the eye. Every secret disappointment she had been keeping in flowed out of her mouth and spilled onto the floor, "I couldn't protect my parents, and they died. I couldn't protect Eren's mom, and she died. I've seen my family die twice, Rivaille. Eren's the only family I have left…" Two streams of tears rolled diagonally down her face, leaving behind lines of sticky skin. She felt Rivaille's hands loosen their grip on her wrists, and she let out a shaky sigh. After a couple deep breaths, Mikasa finally turned back to the man above her.

His face was shrouded in shadow under his suspended bangs. Mikasa couldn't make out his expression at all, and she was perturbed by his silence. Did he hear anything she said? Did she confess her whole list of troubles for nothing? The corporal was so silent that Mikasa started to worry. She was about to ask what was wrong, if the next thing he said didn't render her speechless,

"I've always thought of my squad as my family."

Mikasa took in a short breath. The man above her still wasn't showing his face. Her features softened with each word he uttered as she realized where he was going with this.

"My squad's been the closest thing to family I've ever had." Mikasa didn't miss the slight tremble in his fingers. Soon after, Rivaille's shoulders started to shake and his hands gripped her wrists like shackles. Mikasa started to struggle until Rivaille revealed twin streaks of hot tears tearing down his face. His eyes were full of raw emotion when he cried out, "You say you've only seen your family die twice? Mikasa, I've seen my family die too many times to count…" The voice that started out so strong dwindled into a soft cry as the man choked up.

Mikasa felt tears racing down her face as the corporal lowered his head onto her chest. She bit her lip and shut her eyes as he started listing off names, first and last. With every new name, Mikasa's heart sank more and more. These were people Rivaille had trained with and spent most of his life with, people that fought by his side. Rivaille's shoulders wouldn't stop shaking as the last of the names leaked from his mouth, "Erd Gin… Gunter Shulz… Auruo Bossard… Petra Ral. All of them. Are dead." He snapped his head to the side, furrowing his brows. "Every single one of them didn't deserve to die. And I never got the chance to tell them that. I never got the chance to say goodbye."

The only sounds in the room were two people trying to get themselves together. Mikasa didn't have anything to say to Rivaille. Her heart felt like it had been shattered in two. She never thought Rivaille would ever mention any of this to her. In a way, she felt like she took advantage of him. He was completely controlled by whatever was in Eren's blood. Come to think of it, it made sense to her now. Eren was always blatant with his emotions and his blood had an exceedingly low boiling point. It never took much to get him riled up.

But it was his blood, so of course he was used to it. On the other hand, Rivaille was a person completely in control of his emotions. A person like him being exposed to Eren's crimson fury was undoubtedly going to be unstable.

Still, it broke Mikasa's heart to know what he had been feeling this entire time. If anything, it made the corporal's actions clear to her now. The way he treated her as soon as she entered his squad, the way he tried to get her to quit. Everything was because he didn't want to lose her just like everyone else. He didn't want to be responsible for her death.

Well, she wasn't going to let that happen this time. Lifting her arm, she was able to pry herself from his hand and rested her fingers on his head. The man let her roam her fingers over his dark locks, sighing into her bosom. Thinking that she should say something, Mikasa just whispered, "Then you should never hold anything back again."

What she _meant _was words. She didn't expect him to grab her head and smash his lips against hers.

Chills sped across her entire body, her limbs taut and her toes curling. Raw emotion emanated from his lips as his fingers dug through her hair. Rivaille was pouring everything into that kiss and into Mikasa's being. His kiss was desperate beyond belief and his hands felt hot with need.

The whole time, Mikasa thought this was wrong. He wasn't himself and she knew it.

But…

It felt so _good_.

Relenting, she reached up and grabbed the back of his head while returning the kiss with fervor. The man's lips were raw, scratching hers with every twist and tearing through her soul. It was the kiss of a man washing away his fears. A mysterious warmth pooled under her stomach, fueling Mikasa to sit up and wrap both her arms around his neck. She felt Rivaille pull away and take his warmth with him, but she was lifted from the ground before she could wonder why. How he was able to carry her, she didn't know. Plush sheets plunged around her as she was thrown onto her bed. Rivaille was quick to pin her arms above her head before ravishing her neck like a beast. Mikasa's mouth betrayed her as she let out a fluttery moan. She bit her lip in embarrassment, but Rivaille lifted his head to look at her. One of his hands unclasped her wrist and he stopped to lift her chin up.

"Don't ever be embarrassed again," he ordered huskily before kissing her harder than the first time.

This was wrong.

He wasn't himself.

Stop.

"Rivaille," Mikasa gasped while taking his head in both of her hands. The man halted immediately and had a frightened look in his eye.

He looked guilty. Whispering, he asked, "Is this too much?" His lidded eyes were storming with lust and need. They were captivating in the firelight, masked by his sweaty brown locks. Mikasa almost gave in to him again, but she had to put a stop to this before they did something he'd regret. He probably won't even remember what happened when this was over. He was going to rest and tomorrow they would be teammates again.

Teammates. Nothing more.

It would've been so easy to give in to this Rivaille. He was all fire, a complete opposite to the Rivaille full of ice. Both of them were so different that it was hard to think that they were the same person. But Mikasa wasn't going to take advantage of this. If she was going to give into any Rivaille, if the real Rivaille were to ask, she would go to him in a heartbeat.

So there it was. All along, she knew she liked her corporal. There was no getting around it.

"No…" she whispered, wondering if that was a lie. Scooting out from under him, she patted the bed spot next to her and squeezed out, "You need to rest. Now."

The man just stared at her, his eyes swirling with conflicted emotions. She knew she was being confusing to no end, but this was for his own good. With a troubled look on his face, the corporal placed himself onto the bed as Mikasa got up. His arm shot out to grab hers, and she furrowed her brows.

"Stay here," Rivaille whispered. His eye were started to droop and his grip on her hand lightened. She looked at the door with a guilty face. Her conscience was already tainted enough as it was; she didn't need another reason to feel horrible. But the man pleaded, "Mikasa. Please."

The candle that was barely lasting a couple hours ago burnt out and plunged the room into darkness.

With one last sigh, Mikasa tightened her hand on Rivaille's and settled into the bed.

Tomorrow was the start of a new journey.

It didn't hurt to have one last night of solace.

* * *

To be continued...

* * *

Note: Credit for the idea of injecting Rivaille with Eren's blood goes to beautiful tumblr user **princessaryastark_._**Thank you so much, dear!

Easter Egg: Just come up with a number of people Rivaille listed off and you'll get a sneak peek! I want to see how many people you guys think Rivaille had to see pass away... I know it's sad, but... Yeah, it's just sad I'm sorry :( You can guess here or on a fan mail on tumblr.

Note 2: It's RIVAMIKA WEEK on tumblr October13th-19th! You know what that means? This will likely get updated during that time! I will try my best to type up the next chapter, and I'll at least have the sneak peeks out by that week (on here and on tumblr) for sure. I'll be busy with drabbles, too, so look out for those if you're interested!

Note 3: (EDIT) My new tumblr url is **digibears**. Folla if ya wanna holla! Wow that was lame.


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